
Class 

Book- i 

Copyright^ - 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



HEBREW PROPHECY 



BY 



Ely Vaughan Zollars, A. M., LL. D., 



PRESIDENT OF 



OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY 



THE STANDARD PUBLISHING CO. 
CINCINNATI, O. 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Cooles Hec**** 

AUG ^201908 

^ Cou^riffiu catfy 
GLAS» U_ XAc. No. 



^ wa 



*$ 



Copyright 1907 by 

The Standard Publishing Co. 

Cincinnati, O. 









DEDICATION 



This volume is lovingly dedicated to my daughter, 
Mrs. H. M. Page, who by her willing service and filial 
devotion has been to me an unfailing source of helpful- 
ness and comfort. May the Lord reward her for her 
constancy and fidelity as a most dutiful daughter. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



LECTURE I. page 

The Hebrew Prophets: Their Character and Work 1 

LECTURE II. 

Prophecy. — Its Justification and Its Gradual Un- 
folding as a Distinct Office 22 

LECTURE III. 

Ppophecy. — Its Nature, Beginnings and Historic 

Development 34 

LECTURE IV. 

Prophecy.— Its Kinds and the Criteria for Deter* 

mining Its Truth 57 

LECTURE V. 

Prophecy. — Its Marvelous Variety, Primary Source, 
Striking Symbolism, Ethnic Range, and Trans- 
cendent Qualities 79 

LECTURE VI. 

Prophecy in Type. — The Significance of the Type 
Idea, Kinds of Types, Analogy Between Types 
in Nature and Types in the Bible 108 

LECTURE VII. 
Predictive Prophecy 141 

LECTURE VIII. 
Hebrew Prophecy: Its Poetic Form.- 193 



Hebrew Prophecy 



LECTURE I. 
The Hebrew Prophets: Their Character and Work. 



Introduction. 

1. The necessity for great leaders is attested by the 
universal experience of mankind. 

In all fields of thought and action good leadership is 
the essential condition of progress. Without it no advance 
is made either in the thought or the life of the race. The 
world never moves together in any given direction. Some- 
body must go before who has a clearer vision than the 
great mass of mankind. Some one must lead who sees 
and comprehends great and necessary truth which has 
not yet been laid hold upon by men in general, but which 
is absolutely necessary to their best development. 

God has always raised up such men, who have served 
as pioneers, to whom mankind is indebted for its advance- 
ment, and without whom progress would have been im- 
possible. 

2. The high character and conspicuous abilities of 
great leaders, no careful observer will dispute. 

Those who have led in all social, political and religious 
reforms have always been men of high moral or intellec- 
tual elevation and generally both qualities have been com- 
bined in these men of advanced thought. They have stood 
upon the moral and intellectual heights and have caught 
the rays of light long before they have fallen into the 
valleys; in fact, they have acted as reflectors to cast the 



2 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

light upon the multitudes below. It is a strange fact, 
however, that: 

3. The leaders of thought have seldom been recognized 
by their contemporaries as men who bare a message of 
truth. 

The credentials of truth have not usually been recog- 
nized when first presented. On the contrary, its advocates 
have generally been looked upon as insane or fanatical, 
and not infrequently persecution and death have been 
their reward, or if they have ever been recognized by their 
own generation as men of wisdom and foresight, it has 
not been until after a long period of misunderstanding, 
misrepresentation and apparent failure has intervened. 
It has been one task of posterity to undo the w T rongs 
heaped upon the world's heroes and reformers by previous 
generations. The Saviour recognized this truth when he 
said, "Ye garnish the sepulchres of the prophets, but your 
fathers slew them. " 

4. It is a well-established fact that clearness of in- 
tellectual vision in the moral and religious domain is con- 
ditioned on moral purity. 

A man of corrupt life, no matter how strong he may 
be intellectually, is an unsafe moral and religious guide. 
In fact, he is a dangerous counsellor on all questions of 
practical life. Both his intellectual and moral judgments 
are biased by his corrupt moral states. In ethical ques- 
tions, especially, it is unsafe to act upon the judgment 
of a bad man. The connection between moral purity and 
clear intellectual perceptions is very forcibly illustrated 
in the history of all moral reforms. Perhaps no clearer 
example can be found than is furnished in the lives of 
the great Bible characters. This will be apparent by 
a glance at: 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 3 

I. The Life and Character of the Hebrew Prophets. 

1. These wonderful men, as a class, confessedly 
occupy a very high position both morally and intellec- 
tually. 

The reason for this becomes very apparent when the 
heights on which they stood are compared with the gen- 
eral level of the people of their own time. They tower 
aloft like great mountan peaks above the plain. Some 
rise higher than others, but all stand out in bold relief con- 
spicuous from afar. Even measuring them by the stand- 
ards evolved through three millenniums, we can find little 
to criticize, but, on the contrary, much to praise. When 
compared with the other great reformers of the world, they 
do not suffer in the process, but, on the contrary, they are 
seen to constitute a worthy part of a continuous line of 
moral and intellectual giants who have had in keeping the 
highest interests of our race. 

2. The moral purity of the Hebrew prophets is a fact 
as admirable as it is wonderful. 

Oftentimes we see a lovely flower growing amidst the 
most disagreeable and filthy surroundings. Its beauty is 
the more conspicuous because of its noisome, uncomely 
environment. It serves a most useful purpose, however, 
standing as it does a mute witness in favor of the beautiful 
and pure where otherwise only corruption and deformity 
would be seen. It is the child of hope speaking of nobler 
and better things. This metaphor serves to illustrate the 
position of Israel's prophets. In an age of great moral 
deformity and degradation occasioned by the well-nigh 
universal idolatry that prevailed, these men of God stand 
forth conspicuous for their self-restraint, their simplicity 
of life, their correct habits, their purity of thought and 
action presenting a striking contrast to the general moral 
corruption of the people. Their lives served as a most 



4 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

powerful rebuke to the prevailing apostasy. They also 
served the purpose of keeping hope alive in the world; 
for so long as even one pure man is left, the community 
or people or nation is not hopelessly lost. This small fire 
may kindle a conflagration that will burn up the filth and 
corruption and finally purify the people; the few have 
generally been the saviors of the many in the history of 

our race. 

3. The moral courage of the Hebrew prophets is no 
less wonderful than their personal purity. 

They seemed to be utter strangers to fear when mov- 
ing in the line of manifest duty. They were undaunted 
in the face of danger and unabashed in the presence of 
kings. With them sacrifice of principle was more to 
be dreaded than death itself. No grander spectacle can 
be seen in Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal. 
What a noble challenge he gave when he exclaimed, 
"How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord 
be God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him." What 
grander example of moral heroism can be seen than Elisha 
fearless when surrounded by the Syrian hosts, serene in 
his confidence in God, or Nathan denouncing the sin of 
King David, or the old prophet coming out of Judah and 
condemning Jeroboam while officiating at his idolatrous 
altar « They were fearless in their rebuke of sin and wrong, 
whether displayed in the actions of kings and rulers or 
shown in the conduct of the wealthy, influential classes. 
No social rank was high enough to screen the offender from 
their scathing rebukes. No official position was so lotty 
as to protect the wrong-doer from the shafts of their bitter 
denunciation. They hated sin with a terrible intensity 
and they expressed this hatred in the strongest language 
possible No other literature can produce more withering 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 5 

denunciations of sin and injustice than are found in the 
writings of the Hebrew prophets. 

4. Withal, there was, in these great moral heroes, a 
manifest freedom from vanity. 

They never posed for the admiration of their contem- 
poraries or of posterity. They seemed to be utterly un- 
conscious that they were doing anything extraordinary or 
that might entitle them to any peculiar respect, or serve as 
a ground for special admiration. In studying their con- 
duct there is not the slightest suspicion created that they 
were striking an attitude for the purpose of winning 
popular applause. On the contrary, they must have known 
that they were traveling the surest road to unpopularity, if 
not to persecution and death. 

5. It is worthy of note also that they were character- 
ized by wonderful fidelity. 

They w r ere true to the mission whereunto they were 
sent. They realized fully that it was given to them to speak 
the message of God. Men might and did reject it, but 
nevertheless they must speak. Flattery could not seduce 
them, danger could not daunt them, apparent failure could 
not discourage them. They seemed to feel, woe is me if 
I fail to utter the truth I have in keeping. If they had 
moments of despondency, there always came the reaction 
that saved them from even temporary unfaithfulness. 
When the crucial test came they were always equal to the 
occasion. Fidelity has ever been characteristic of the 
truly noble soul. The last message of Jesus sent down 
from heaven was, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I 
will give thee the crown of life," and Paul declared in the 
presence of death, "I have fought a good fight, I have 
finished my course, I have kept the faith. ' ' On this ground 
the Hebrew prophets can claim the crown. 



6 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

6. The intellectual vigor of the Hebrew prophets is 
very evident and very wonderful. 

Sometimes great moral strength is dissociated from 
intellectual vigor, and, on the contrary, not infrequently 
intellectual strength exists when moral goodness is lacking, 
but when we have both united in the same person we 
have the highest type of individual. Such were the 
Hebrew prophets. Their intellectual vigor was no less 
conspicuous than their moral purity. They had a most 
wonderful grasp of subjects. They were able to discover 
causes and trace their effects. Their views were both 
broad and penetrating. They saw all around and all 
through the questions with which they dealt. Con- 
sequently they were statesmen of high order. They could 
see the way out of difficulties and point out the path of 
safety. Happy is the nation blessed with such leaders and 
especially so if their counsel is heeded. Leaders morally 
strong but intellectually weak can not save a nation from 
its perils. They may see the wrongs existing, but are not 
wise enough to discover the remedy. Leaders intellectually 
strong and morally weak may plunge the nation into 
gravest dangers. They may see the wrongs and know the 
remedy, but lack the moral stamina to stand for the right. 
It takes men of clear heads and pure hearts to be equal to 
the occasion in times of great national crises. No man 
should be put into a position of responsibility who is weak 
in either of these directions. It is men of moral and 
intellectual power that move the world. 

7. The Hebrew prophets as a class were gifted with 
remarkable oratorical powers. 

No finer specimen of eloquence can be found in any 
language than are found in the writings of these wonderful 
men. Oratory in its highest forms is dependent on cer- 
tain favorable conditions, and these conditions were not 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 7 

only present to a remarkable degree, but they were ex- 
ceptionally strong in their influence in the case of the 
Hebrew prophets. 

(1) They possessed great heart power. They were 
men of deep feeling. This is a very important condition. 
Cold intellectualism can not speak with moving power. A 
great Latin poet wrote, "If you wish men to weep, you 
must first weep yourself." These men spoke out of the 
fullness of their hearts. Their souls were on fire and con- 
sequently their words were like coals of fire. 

(2) They had remarkable intellectual powers, a fact 
we have already alluded to, and which need not be dwelt 
upon here further than to say that this is an absolutely 
essential condition of a high type of oratory. No weakling 
intellectually can ever become a great orator, no matter 
how rich he may be in heart power. 

(3) They were men of strong will power. This con- 
dition is far more important than is generally supposed. 
Men of weak wills may feel intensely for a brief moment, 
but they are not capable of sustained feeling. Their 
emotions are transient. The fire burns out quickly. Fur- 
thermore, the will power, being the executive function of 
the mind, must have strength in order to produce in 
speech that which the intellect knows and the sensibilities 
feel. It may be also observed that weak will power is 
usually associated with small intellectual force. A man 
of strong intellect may weaken and finally destroy his w 7 ill 
power, but usually it will be seen that intellectual power is 
impaired as the will power deteriorates. There seems to 
be also a subtle connection between the will of the orator 
and the feelings of his hearers. His volition seems to act 
upon his audience. It is possible that by a mere exercise 
of will, and that, too, probably unconsciously, the speaker 
can influence the minds of his hearers. Certain it is that 



8 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

men of strong wills speak with peculiarly convincing 
power. 

(4) They were aroused by stirring subjects. No man 
can make a great speech upon a small subject or one that 
has little power to move the souls or fire the hearts of 
men. Burning wrongs, mighty reforms, noble deeds, great 
undertakings — such things as move powerfully upon the 
feelings and stir the nobler impulses of men — are essential 
to highest forms of oratory. If the subject sets the heart 
of the orator on fire, his words will kindle a fire in the 
hearts of his hearers. The themes of the Hebrew proph- 
ets were well calculated to stir the souls of these men of 
intense feeling to their profoundest depths. They saw 
glaring injustice; they saw the oppression of the weak by 
the strong; they saw the proud, haughty, arrogant bear- 
ing of the rich while they oppressed the poor and robbed 
labor of its just rewards; they saw the awful corruption 
in high places and honesty and innocence trampled in the 
dust and calling in vain for vindication; they saw the re- 
ligion given by God to his elect nation neglected, dishon- 
ored and corrupted; they saw God's chosen people, to 
whom he had revealed himself as the one true and living 
God, apostatize and fall into gross forms of idolatry and 
guiltily participate in the most corrupt heathen practices; 
they saw their nation slowly but surely sinking into ir- 
retrievable ruin; they saw the fearful judgment of God, 
which must forever hang over the wrong-doer, impending 
over the people. No wonder their souls were deeply moved 
and their hearts set on fire. This accounts for the elo- 
quent language in which they poured forth their denun- 
ciations, warnings, exhortations and patriotic fervor. 

(5) They spoke a language well suited to the pur- 
pose of the orator. While it did not have the finished 
polish of the classic Greek, a language too perfect for oral 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 9 

discourse to the masses, nor the stately dignity of the 
Latin, yet it was a language well suited to oral discourse. 
Its rhetorical possibilities were very great. It was ca- 
pable of expressing thought in a concrete form by means 
of simile and metaphor, which is always most striking and 
forceful. 

(6) They lived in a land well calculated to kindle 
and encourage the oratorical fire. It was indeed a goodly 
land such as the heart of man is ever prone to love. It 
was free from sameness and monotony. It possessed won- 
derful variety, composed as it was of stately hills and 
majestic mountains, interspersed with beautiful valleys 
and watered by a thousand gurgling streamlets whose 
music delighted the ear while the general prospect pleased 
the eye, and above was spread an Oriental sky of deepest, 
serenest blue, over which floated the white-winged clouds 
like ships upon the mighty ocean. These men for the mcst 
part were country born and country bred. They were 
brought into contact with nature in its most seductive 
forms, which is a condition highly favorable to the de- 
velopment of oratorical power. If orators have been city 
bred, they have usually had periods of contact with nature 
that have served to quicken them. The apostle Paul was 
taken into Arabia for three years just before entering upon 
his public ministry, where he could come in touch with 
nature in her primitive forms and receive the lessons 
which she alone can teach. 

8. They were in profoundest sympathy with the masses 
as distinguished from the classes. 

The common people have ever constituted and will 
ever constitute the great bulk of mankind. Their needs, 
their wrongs, their advancement have ever enlisted the 
sympathies of the greatest, noblest souls. A class man is 
never a great man in the truest sense. One of the finest 



10 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

compliments paid to our Saviour in the Scripture is the 
statement, "The common people heard him gladly.' ' A 
man of the people is a brother of the race. The Hebrew 
prophets were pre-eminently men of the people. They 
sprang from the people, lived in close touch with the peo- 
ple, wrought for the people and had profoundest sym- 
pathy for the people. Did the people suffer, they suf- 
fered ; were the people wronged, they espoused their cause ; 
were the people afflicted, they mourned. Upon the hearts 
of such men the burdens, wrongs and sorrows of the race 
have ever rested with crushing weight. 

9. They possessed unswerving faith in God. 

If doubt ever dimmed their vision, it was like a flitting 
cloud that vanished ere its presence was felt. They laid 
hold on God with a firm grip and they rested secure in 
the consciousness of his approval and in the confidence 
of his sustaining power. The noblest heroism has ever 
been the child of faith. It is faith that saves the indi- 
vidual and qualifies him to be a savior of his fellows. 
The doubter is always damned. Nobler examples of an 
exalted faith can not be found than are furnished in Is- 
rael's prophets. They stand conspicuous in the long suc- 
cession of the heroes of faith that stretches through the 
ages to the present day. They reflect glory upon our 
common humanity and make us feel proud to wear the 
name of man. 

10. They recognized the connection between conduct 
and destiny. 

They believed that between sin and punishment there 
is a necessary sequence. They regarded conduct as cause 
and destiny as effect. They made happiness and pros- 
perity even in this world to depend on right thought and 
action, and they taught that misery and wretchedness re- 
sulted from corrupt conduct. They believed that the na- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 11 

tion as well as the individual soul that sinned would die. 
They did not believe that God loved even his chosen peo- 
ple so well that he would save them irrespective of their 
character. There was never a more damnable, soul-destroy- 
ing doctrine taught than that all roads of life lead to the 
same place ; that conduct and destiny have no necessary 
connection. Everything we see seems to reach its highest 
development through the operation of two forces or 
through a double process. In this way the earth is held 
in its orbit. Through the operation of two principles the 
plants and animals are brought to the highest develop- 
ment. When we pass upward into the spiritual realm the 
same or an analogous law prevails. Two processes are 
constantly at work in intellectual and spiritual growth. 
In harmony with this general truth right conduct is se- 
cured through the operation of two principles, hope and 
fear. Without hope there will be no lofty endeavor, no 
earnest strife, no well-sustained effort, Without fear the 
necessary checks and restraints will be removed. Fear is 
the centrifugal moral force w T hich, acting with hope as the 
centripetal force, holds man in his true orbit. Well did 
the Hebrew prophets understand this. They sought to 
stimulate hope and beget fear. They pointed out the re- 
wards of righteousness and they declared the wages of 
sin. No nation was ever blessed with more faithful 
teachers. 



12 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

II. The Preparation of the Hebrew Prophets for 

Their Work. 

1. They received the training that comes from living 
in close touch with the people. 

They were not visionary theorists that formed their 
opinions in retirement without knowing and understand- 
ing the condition and needs of the masses, bat, on the 
contrary, they endured their labors and hard hips, wit- 
nessed their wrongs and saw their sins and shortcomings. 
Their knowledge was experimental and consequently prac- 
tical. There is no education that can take the place of 
that which comes from actual contact with the masses. 
There is no knowledge so valuable to the reformer as that 
which he acquires with his own eyes and ears as he lives 
and moves among men. All great reformers have been 
men of the people. 

2. They lived in intimate intercourse with nature, and 
mother nature has always been a most effective trainer of 
her children. 

"To him who in the love of nature holds 
Communion with her visible forms she speaks 
A various language; for his gayer hours 
She has a voice of gladness and a smile 
And eloquence of beauty, and she glides 
Into his darker musings with a mild 
And healing sympathy that steals away 
Their sharpness ere he is aware." 

Happy is he whose early life has not been warped by 
the shams, conventionalities and artificial conditions of 
city life. The country boy has a rich inheritance in the 
free, open and genuine life he is permitted to live amidst 
the thousand sights and sounds that delight the ear and 
eye and lend their influence toward his moral and intel- 
lectual development, and where his physical powers are 



HEBREW PROPHECY. l3 

strengthened by healthful exercise under most favorable 

C °the° mustrations of the prophets were largely drawn 
from natural phenomena and pastoral life, and no richer 
Irsure house'can be found. Such illustrates appeal 
readilv and powerfully to the common mind. 

3 They were subjected to the discipline of poverty. 
Isaiah probably belonged to some branch of the royal 
family and Ezekiel belonged to the priestly class and 
requently these two may not have exper.nced *e 
hardships common to a lot of poverty, but with these ex 
cepTons Israel's prophets, so far as their history is 
known were men who had to struggle with adverse cir- 

\ I Hannv is the young man who comes to ma- 
cumstances. Happy is uie y^ s 

turitv under such conditions, provided they be not so ex 
treml as to suppress earnest endeavor and destroy hope. 
C young man who learns the lessons and secures the 
discipline of moderate poverty has obtained an education 
finable value. The person who has to strugg e f or 
his living learns the lessons of industry, patience, f ruga - 
t -d L rendering of an honest equivalent for benefit 
received No lessons of equal value are ever learned, and 
he X comes to maturity without having these lesson 
deeply impressed upon him is poorly fitted for the battle 

° f 4^ They communed much with God, and conse- 
nuentln were men of deep piety. 

"in this regard they closely resemble the great mora 
in um, * condition of 

heroes and reformers of all th e a ges i 
moral power is intimate fellowship with God Paul said 
"When I am weak then I am strong." This simply means 
that the man conscious of his human weakness lays hold 
ZL God, and thus the finite is multiplied by the ^nfini e. 
If ever any one was lifted above the necessity of prayer, 



14 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

surely Jesus Christ was such a person, because in him 
dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead. Yet 'he was a man 
of much and frequent prayer. Whole nights were spent 
in communication with God. The apostles ,were men of 
prayer, and all the great reformers and preachers in every 
age have been men who believed profoundly in the effi- 
cacy of prayer. Such men have fought their battles first 
on their knees in private, and from their closets they have 
come forth panoplied for the conflict. Jesus prayed in 
the Garden and won the victory; his disciples slept, and 
presently they cowardly deserted their Master. 

5. They secured such literary education as was pos- 
sible in an unliterary age. 

All perhaps did not "have the same advantages, but for 
the most part doubtless they had such training as was 
afforded in the schools and guilds of the prophets, which 
probably furnished more or less literary instruction. They 
had access doubtless to a considerable body of literature 
that possessed not only literary excellence, but a wonder- 
ful degree of uplifting moral power. Furthermore, it 
should be borne in mind that books are not the only source 
of a literary education. Much knowledge can be and is 
imparted orally. Even in this age of books a great amount 
of instruction is given in lecture form, and the good teacher 
always supplements his text-book by talks and illustrations 
that amplify and enforce the lesson. In the schools of the 
prophets much oral instruction was given, in all proba- 
bility the teacher speaking out of the fullness of his own 
experience and from the traditional fund of knowledge 
that had accumulated through the ages. 

6. They were doubtless profoundly influenced by the 
wonderful history of Israel. 

A nation that has a great history has a rich legacy to 
transmit to its sons and daughters. There is nothing that 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 15 

has more power to kindle the enthusiasm and fire the souls 
of men than the heroic deeds of their fathers. It makes 
the individual feel that he stands in a noble succession and 
that he must be a true man and act well his part in order 
to be worthy to hold a place in such an illustrious ancestral 
line. No nation can feel prouder of its origin and early 
history than can the Jewish people; a nation descended 
from Abraham, the man of wonderful faith, chosen of God 
as the progenitor of an elect people; a nation made the 
receptacle of God's unfolding revelation as it proceeded 
through the Decalogue and the wonderful messages of 
truth delivered by God through a long line of inspired 
teachers; a nation illustrious in war and distinguished by 
the arts of peace, oftentimes, it is true, apostatizing and 
falling under the just displeasure of God, but turning 
again to Jehovah in true penitence and rising grandly out 
of temporary defeat. Surely a nation with such a history 
can not fail to exert a wonderful influence on its children, 
and in estimating the character of its noblest sons, this 
factor must be taken into the account. 

7. Finally under this head the fact of inspiration 
must not be omitted from the calculations. 

Here is no place to discuss the theories or kinds of in- 
spiration. These will be briefly considered in a subsequent 
lecture, but as a most wonderful truth let it not be over- 
looked when studying the preparation of the Hebrew 
prophets. To criticize their writing, as is often done, or 
even try to understand them without taking into the field 
of vision their inspiration, is a most foolish and unphilo- 
sophical undertaking. These men were conscious of their 
own inspiration. They claimed to speak the message of 
God. This accounts for much that would otherwise seem 
inexplicable. Those who deny inspiration are necessarily 
compelled to make all predictive prophecy history, and 



16 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

this would completely revolutionize our estimate of these 
wonderful men. They would necessarily stand before the 
world as self-deceived fanatics or gross impostors, neither 
of which alternatives can be for one moment admitted. 
The inspiration of the Hebrew prophets must therefore be 
accepted and taken into account. 

III. The Work Accomplished by the Hebrew Prophets. 

1. In an age of gross idolatry they kept alive the 
germs of faith in the one true and living God. 

There is and can be only one proper object of worship 
and that is God himself. God made the soul for himself, 
and God is the only satisfying portion of the soul. The 
man who makes any object less than the infinite God the 
thing of supreme desire and adoration, must in the very 
nature of the case live unsatisfied and die disappointed. 
The soul seems to have been created with infinite possi- 
bilities in the upward direction. If these possibilities fall 
short of the infinite, it is impossible for us to tell where the 
limit is. John, the apostle, says, "It doth not yet appear 
what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear 
we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." As 
a companion truth, let it be borne in mind that man al- 
ways approaches the thing he worships, and hence only 
God himself as an object of worship can develop to the 
fullest extent the latent possibilities of man. It has there- 
fore been God's purpose to cure the world of its idolatry. 
To this end he called out Abraham from his kindred and 
made him the father of the elect nation from whom it was 
God's purpose to eradicate every vestige of idolatry, thus 
creating a nucleus or a sort of standing ground from 
which to begin the crusade that will only end when the 
last idol shall have been destroyed and all men everywhere 
shall lift up their hearts in worship of the one true and 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 17 

living God. Then will the whole race have entered upon 
the road toward its largest development. Then will the 
latent possibilities of every individual be in fullest pros- 
pect of realization. 

To the accomplishment of this great purpose of God 
the Hebrew prophets have contributed a most important 
part. It seemed at times that the elect nation would be 
swallowed up by the awful idolatry that pressed in upon 
it from every side, but the prophets of Israel stemmed the 
tide and succeeded in keeping a few precious souls faithful 
to their covenant with God, until finally the nation, chas- 
tened and purified by the terrible judgments of Jehovah, 
returned to their allegiance to God. After the return from 
the Babylonian captivity, idolatry never more made its 
appearance among the Jewish people. Its very germs 
seemed to have been eradicated. 

2. They stood out in hold relief as magnificent object- 
lessons in righteousness, philanthropy, patriotism; in short, 
in true, noble manhood. 

There are no lessons so powerful and effective as those 
presented in the concrete. Truth in the abstract is valu- 
able, but truth does not take on its dynamic form until it 
is incarnated. Wendell Phillips said in substance if you 
mil put a great truth on two feet and bid it travel across 
the continent, it will revolutionize the continent. Herein 
the Christian method surpasses all systems of philosophy. 
Jesus Christ came to present truth in the concrete. He 
was God manifest in the flesh. He declared, "I am the 
truth.' ' Herein has lain the power of Christianity in all 
the ages. Whenever Christianity has consented to rest its 
claims on a mere abstract statement of doctrine, it has 
been like Samson shorn of his locks. If the true Chris- 
tian method the life accompanies the doctrine, and, in fact, 
goes before in the march. The Christianity that goes on 



18 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

two feet is the Christianity that saves men. The prophets 
of Israel presented truth on two feet. They were incar- 
nations of righteousness, holiness, philanthropy and gen- 
uine patriotism. The truths they uttered were powerfully 
illustrated in the lives they lived, hence their phenomenal 
power with God and men. 

3. They held in check to some extent the rapacity and 
injustice of the ruling classes. 

True, they were few in number and did not have the 
prestige of official rank or social position. As measured 
by the ordinary standards of men, they were immensely 
inferior to the arrogant classes whose sins they denounced 
and yet they exerted a mighty restraining influence. They 
were hated intensely by some, but nevertheless respected 
and feared. There is no estimating the power of a brave, 
good man in an age of injustice and wrong. Truly one 
such man " shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten 
thousand to flight." The twelve apostles of Christ seemed 
like a small army to send forth against a pagan world, and 
yet in that little company there was more of conquering 
moral power than in all the idolatrous world combined. 
Luther and his few supporters seemed like a weak agency 
to oppose the mighty forces against which they arrayed 
themselves, and yet that little handful of men had more 
power than all the Roman hierarchy combined. They in- 
flicted a wound on the beast that has never healed and 
which will cause its ultimate downfall and ruin. 

4. They furnished in their predictive prophecies a 
splendid class of divine evidence. 

This evidence is so strong that the enemies of Chris- 
tianity of every grade and kind have always felt the ne- 
cessity of discrediting these prophecies in some way. They 
have realized that if these prophecies stand, Christianity 
as a divine, supernatural religion is established beyond the 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 1$ 

remotest doubt. Hence the fierce and repeated attacks 
that have been made upon this class of sacred Scripture. 
The battle is still going on, for unless this citadel bo taken, 
the divine origin of the Scriptures of the Old and New 
Testaments can not be successfully disputed, and this, of 
course, carries with it the divinity of Christ, and, conse- 
quently, the divine character of the whole Christian sys- 
tem. This must be perfectly evident on a moment's re- 
flection. These prophecies foretell future events with an 
accuracy and minuteness of detail that can not be the 
result of human sagacity. This will be more fully am- 
plified in subsequent lectures. The attempt to discredit 
these predictions has utterly failed, and, consequently, 
this strong wall of defense remains unbroken. 

5. They provided a large amount of ethical teaching 
of very great value that exerted a wonderful influence on 
the people of their own time and has powerfully influenced 
the world wherever it has gone. 

The moral tone of the prophetic writings is very high, 
and consequently their uplifting moral power is very 
great. To read the prophecies of the Old Testament 
Scriptures and then pass to the prophecies that heathen- 
ism has produced, is like dropping from heaven to earth. 
We feel that these prophecies move on an entirely differ- 
ent plane. All the nobler qualities of character are mag- 
nified. Faith, hope, purity, unselfishness, love and true 
manhood are inculcated, while all the base, groveling pro- 
pensities are condemned. The waters from this fountain 
are as pure, wholesome and refreshing as the stream that 
gushes forth from the mountain-side, unpolluted because 
removed from any defiling or corrupting source. "Holy 
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.' ' 
This accounts for the fact that they inculcated and up- 
held a lofty morality that has ever won the unqualified 



20 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

approval of the best men, and set forth noble ideals that 
have ever challenged the highest admiration. No one can 
open the Bible at the prophecies of Israel and begin to 
read without being conscious that he is breathing a moral 
atmosphere highly charged with the ozone of righteous- 
ness, purity and true devotion. As we pass from the 
reading of any other book to the reading of the Hebrew 
prophets, we are conscious of having passed upward from 
the valleys to the mountain-tops, where falls a heavenly 
radiance and where the vision of faith is undimmed by 
the clouds of doubt and despair. 

6. They produced a volume of literature of very great 
value. 

This fact has been brought out to a considerable ex- 
tent under other heads in this lecture, but it is well to 
dwell upon it a little more in detail. The literary ex- 
cellence of the prophetic writings is very striking. 

(1) There is a considerable volume of poetry that 
deserves to rank with the best poetic productions of the 
world. It has all the characteristics of true poetry. The 
emotional element is very strong, and this is always a 
most valuable and pleasing quality in poetry. The thought 
is vigorous and ennobling and the form of expression 
truly poetic. The parallelism, the great striking pecu- 
liarity of Hebrew poetry, is used with pleasing effect. The 
sentiments are varied, but all appeal to the nobler feeling. 
It may be truly said that Isaiah and Jeremiah deserve to 
rank among the great poets of the race. 

(2) The prose portions are stately and majestic. The 
rhetorical element is very striking. The language is dig- 
nified and forceful and the most beautiful imagery abounds. 
The Hebrew prophets were masters in the use of rhetorical 
figures. They have given us specimens of oratory of a 
very high order. I do not believe better examples of noble, 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 21 

impassioned speech can be found in any language. The 
orators of Israel may well be placed among the orators of 
Greece and Rome and of the English-speaking nations of 
modern times. 

(3) The subjects treated are diversified. The dif- 
ferent prophets had different objects in view, and each 
wrote or spoke to the purpose he had before him, but all 
are dominated with one great spirit. There is the same 
moral and religious element running through all that gives 
unity and agreement to the whole mass of prophetic 
writings. 

All things considered, it may be safely said that no 
nobler body of literature of equal amount can be found in 
any language than is afforded us in the writings of the 
Hebrew prophets judged from purely a literary standpoint. 



22 HEBREW PROPHECY. 



LECTURE II. 

Prophecy — Its Justification and its Gradual. Unfold- 
ing as a Distinct Office. 



INTRODUCTION. 

1. The subject of prophecy is one of thrilling interest 
and transcendent importance. 

(1) It is interesting because of its ultimate source 
which lies beyond the limits and boundaries of this finite 
world. 

It is the voice which comes to us from out of that 
mysterious spirit land which lies so close to this material 
realm, but which no mortal eye hath ever seen and no hu- 
man foot hath ever trod. 

It is the message of the infinite Father sent to guide 
his wandering children through the dreary wastes of time 
to their inheritance in the jasper-walled, golden-paved city 
which is the eternal home of the soul. 

While listening to the prophetic voice we seem to be 
standing on time's borderland hearing the whisperings of 
our Father as he breathes his messages of instruction, warn- 
ing and boundless love. 

(2) It is of transcendent importance because it is 
the language of infinite wisdom, born of infinite compas- 
sion, called forth by human necessity, and addressed to 
human need. It answers the questions that no human 
tongue can answer and solves the problems that are too 
deep and profound for human wisdom to work out. 

2. The prophet has had a large share in guiding hu- 
man history and shaping human destiny. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 23 

(1) Much of the world's best work has been accom- 
plished by those who have been moved by the prophetic 
spirit; they have been grandly earnest men, ardent in 
their zeal for God. The great prophets of the race have 
stood in the foremost rank of the world's reformers, and 
have been prominent actors in the great historic movements 
of mankind. 

(2) Rob the race of the work and words of its proph- 
ets, and you would rob it of its richest legacy. Think of 
blotting out of the Old Testament the great constellation 
of prophets beginning with Moses and ending with Mal- 
achi. A vacancy would be caused that all the literature in 
the world would not fill. Think of plucking from the 
moral firmament the galaxy of New Testament prophets 
beginning with Christ and his great harbinger, and end- 
ing with the beloved John, and consider how impossible 
for lamps of earthly lighting to dispel the darkness that 
would thus be caused. 

Think of extinguishing those later lights beginning 
with Huss and ending with Alexander Campbell, for these 
in a way were prophets, if not in the sense of bringing new 
revelations from God, at least in bringing back the old 
revelation which man had lost, and rekindling it into its 
original brightness and causing it to flash and glow upon 
the mirror of the human heart. Think, I say, of all this, 
and the value of prophetic words and work assumes pro- 
digious importance. 

3. The prophetic literature, as distinguished from the 
other sacred writings, constitutes an exceedingly rich por- 
tion of the Old and New Testament Scriptures. 

The seventeen prophetic books that close the Old Tes- 
tament constitute its crown of glory, and the Book of 
Revelation closing the New Testament is remarkable for 



24 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

its wonderful figurative unfolding of the future of the race 
and its final destiny. 

(1) The high value here placed on the prophetical 
writings is justified by internal and external considera- 
tions. Scattered throughout the entire volume, it shines 
like the stars that stud the canopy of heaven. It beams 
forth with a Divine radiance more brilliant than the dia- 
mond that flashes in the kingly crown. In subject itiatter, 
beauty of form, in bold and striking imagery, sublime and 
lofty diction, it stands unrivaled in the literature of the 
world. 

(2) As a distinct class of Christian evidence, pre- 
dictive prophecy is of the highest value. It were hard 
to exaggerate its importance as viewed from this stand- 
point. The prophecies of Old and New Testaments have 
thrown around the religion of Christ a bulwark of de- 
fense that has proven utterly impregnable. We will 
consider, 

I. The Reasonableness of the Prophetic Idea. 

To discover this we ask, 

1. What is prophecy? 

(1) In its broadest sense, it is instruction given by 
God to man through man. It embraces law, teaching, 
prediction, admonition, warning, exhortation, threaten- 
ings, and promises. It is God's answer to man's cry for 
knowledge. It is the supplementary revelation filling up 
and explaining the revelations made in the moral nature 
of man and in the constitution of nature. The prophet 
is God's Divinely commissioned officer to reveal to man 
great and necessary truth. He stands next to God in 
receiving truth. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 25 

(2) In its narrower, but in the most commonly ac- 
cepted sense, it is prediction, the announcement of a 
future event whose occurrence could not possibly have 
been foreseen by unaided intellect or natural human sa- 
gacity, but which must have been disclosed to the prophet 
by a Divine communication. 

(3) It is of special evidential value, the Divine char- 
acter of its utterances being fully established by their 
perfect agreement with truth and fact. Jesus said, "I 
have told you before it came to pass that when it is come 
to pass ye may believe." 

(4) The prophet is God's messenger of truth receiv- 
ing his message by inspiration, whether it be instruction 
concerning human conduct and life, warning concerning 
impending judgments, or the anouncement of things to 
come. 

2. The distinction between prophecy and other forms 
of religious instruction is clear. 

(1) The prophet is a teacher, but all teachers are 
not prophets; some get their knowledge second-hand. 

(2) The prophet may be a preacher, but all preachers 
are not prophets. It depends on the relation that he sus- 
tains to God. 

(3) The poet may be a prophet, but all poets are not 
prophets; however, there seems to be a very intimate re- 
lation between poetry and prophecy. Often the prophets 
chose to express themselves in poetic form. 

3. Is prophecy a possible thing? 

Why not? Is not the question itself born of atheism? 

To deny the possibility means to deny the possibility 
of God, yea, of any intelligence higher than man; or it 
means to assert that man can receive no communication 
from sources higher than himself. Admit the existence 
of an intelligence higher than man, and the possibility of 



26 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

prophecy at once appears. Deny the possibility of proph- 
ecy, and there is no stopping-place short of atheism. We 
may go one step farther, and say that: 

4. // God exists, prophecy is not only a possible but 
a reasonable expectation. 

There are at least three ways of communication that 
seem most probable: Direct, through angelic agency, 
through human agency. Still other methods are conceiv- 
able. 

We find that God has, at different times, employed all 
of these agencies. He has spoken directly to man. He 
has sent angelic messengers to bear his communications. 
He has made man his medium of intercourse, speaking 
to man through man. 

The ordinary method of addressing man would most 
likely be through human agency. Economy is a Divine 
characteristic : God never calls into existence unneces- 
sary or superfluous ministries. He uses existing instru- 
mentalities so far as they will answer his purpose. It may 
be necessary for him to communicate directly with man. 
In fact, we can not see how this could be avoided. He may 
find it necessary, under certain contingencies, to send 
angelic messengers, but, ordinarily, man can be used as 
the medium of communication. It is, therefore, to be 
expected that God would speak to the race through the 
individual. In some cases this was accomplished by 
transmitting the Divine thought to the mind of the 
prophet, allowing him to express it his own way. This is, 
perhaps, the most common form of inspired writing. 
Hence, it comes to pass that each prophet is character- 
ized by his own peculiar literary style. Sometimes the 
prophet not only receives the thought, but also the exact 
language, from the Divine author. Sometimes it is merely 
a stimulation of memory, enabling the person under the 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 27 

Divine influence to call to mind things previously heard 
or seen. Jesus Christ told his disciples that the prom- 
ised Spirit would bring to their remembrance all things 
that he had said unto them. Sometimes, doubtless, the 
inspired writer was Divinely guided in the selection of 
historic material already in existence, being enabled to 
distinguish the true from the false, thus preserving to the 
race true history that would otherwise have been lost. 

By this process of reasoning, we rise to the conclu- 
sion that the office of prophet is the logical outgrowth 
of the God idea, and may, therefore, be expected as a 
necessary part of the Divine economy. 

II. The Gradual Development of the Prophetic 
Function and Its Separation from Other Offices. 

1. There are three great functions of authority that 
are fundamentally necessary to man's well-being-. Roy- 
alty or Kingship, Priesthood, Prophecy. 

(1) Royalty is the function of government. This is 
a very important office. Government meets a funda- 
mental want. Without this, there is anarchy and con- 
fusion in society, and we may carry the principle into 
the individual man. In the kingdom of the human soul, 
government must be exercised. This duty belongs to the 
will power. It is the office of the intellect to know; of 
the sensibilities, to feel or desire; and of the will, to 
enforce the decisions of the head and heart. Beginning 
in the individual soul, thence moving outward into the 
social life of the neighborhood, and thence onward into 
the life of the nation, we find that government is indis- 
pensable. In all the relationships of life, some authority 
must be recognized, or the most disastrous results follow. 
This principle holds good no less in religion than in the 
other relations of life. In the church, this function rests 



28 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

in a secondary sense in the Divinely ordained officers; 
but, in the primary sense, in Jesus Christ, who is "King 
of kings and Lord of lords,' ' and the "Head over all 
things to the church.' ' 

(2) Priesthood is the function of religious service 
or worship, especially in an official way. Under the Jew- 
ish dispensation, the priests officiated at the altar in the 
tabernacle and temple service; first, in their own behalf, 
and then for the people. In the Christian dispensation, 
every man is a priest, who may perform the different acts 
of worship for himself and also in a public capacity, 
while Christ, our great High Priest, hath made the only 
efficacious sacrifice in the offering of himself, and hath 
entered once for all within the vail into the Holy of Holies. 

As man is by nature a religious being, the office of 
priesthood is very necessary. While under the Christian 
dispensation there is no official class called priests, but 
each man performs the duty for himself, yet it should 
be borne in mind that the function is necessary and 
perpetual. 

(3) Prophecy is the function of religious primary 
instruction, as it is communicated by the person standing 
next to God and receiving the message from him. It 
grows out of the idea of revelation, and must necessarily 
cease when the revelation is complete. However, since 
this primary instruction must be carried to succeeding 
generations, the function of religious instruction is per- 
petual, but only those primary instructors are called 
prophets. 

2. These functions were first combined in one person. 

The father of the family was prophet, priest and king. 
The religion was consequently patriarchal. 

This was most natural under primitive conditions, 
when the constitution of society was very simple, fam- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 29 

ilies being few and interests being harmonious. The popu- 
lation was homogeneous in character, and the bond of 
kinship was near and strong. 

Gradually these conditions changed. Families multi- 
plied. Interests became diversified. The population be- 
came heterogeneous in character. The bond of kinship 
became weakened and was finally lost. Conditions finally 
arose unsuited to the patriarchal form of government. 

3. The time naturally came for the separation of 
these functions. 

(1) After the duties of prophet, priest and king 
became too complicated to be discharged by one man, the 
function of priest w r ould naturally be differentiated first. 
There was necessarily an accumulation of moral, ethical 
and spiritual ideas. Religious duties multiplied. Wor- 
ship became more complicated. As society advances, ev- 
erything progresses from the simple to the complex. 
Necessity thus arose — a necessity for a special order of 
men called priests. 

(2) Next a separate and distinct office was created 
for the exercise of the prophetic function. This came 
about through the operation of the same general law. 
The field of instruction grew larger. The duties of 
prophet multiplied. Finally, these duties must and did 
devolve on a special class. 

(3) Last of all, we would expect to find the function 
of royalty to be set apart, and this is historically true. 
The office of king was created, which represented the idea 
of government. 

4. It will be seen that the separation of these func- 
• tions is not an arbitrary matter. 

(1) Social, political and religious life advances from 
the simple to the complex by successive steps, that are 
the result of antecedent conditions. The condition arises 



30 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

first. The step is taken, not arbitrarily, but in answer 
to the condition. 

(2) The fact that the religions of the Bible are 
revealed religions in no way stands opposed to this doc- 
trine. God adapts his revelations to the changing con- 
ditions, and, in a way, to meet the progressive develop- 
ment of mankind. Everything God does is in answer to 
human need. As human need arises, Divine provision is 
made for it. In this way, God seems to keep pace with 
the development of the race, yea, to lead onward this 
development by anticipating human want. The failure 
to recognize this progressive unfolding of God's truth 
has led to much misunderstanding of the sacred Scrip- 
tures, and not a little foolish criticism. To carry back 
the standards evolved through three thousand years of 
progress under the Divine guidance, and apply them to 
God's methods of dealing with men under those early 
conditions, is, to say the least, very unphilosophical ; and 
to criticise the early servants of God by the same method, 
is also very unjust. 

5. This process is illustrated by many striking ex- 
amples. 

Animal life furnishes an illustration. The lower 
forms are very simple; higher forms are more complex. 

Same is true in social relations. At first, there is no 
formality; customs are simple. Afterward, conventional 
rules multiply. 

The history of the development of civilized life illus- 
trates this clearly. In the most primitive conditions of 
men, all functions center in one. The Indian is the near- 
est approach to the independent man. lie can secure his 
own food, cook it, make his own clothes, and build his 
own house. As society advances, wants multiply, and 
functions are differentiated. Thus all the callings of civ- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 31 

ilized life are produced: the more civilized we become, the 
more dependent we become. 

We are now prepared to see that the creation of the 
separate and distinct offices of Prophet, Priest and King 
is but the Divine answer to the gradual unfolding of 
human need. 

6. The relation of the three great Bible religions is 
thus made manifest. 

Human nature is ever the same, but human conditions 
and circumstances are ever changing. Some things must 
change, because human condition and human need change. 
Some things in religion can not change, since human 
nature does not change. To-day is the product of the past 
and the germ of the future. 

The patriarchal religion, suited to a particular age, 
must give place to that which was fitted for a different 
age. The new must contain certain elements of the old; 
the unchanging must remain. 

The* same reasoning holds good with reference to 
Judaism. 

Then, will Christianity have to give way? No. In 
its very nature it is adapted to the changing conditions 
of men. Its forms of worship are not specified, but left 
to be adjusted to suit changing times and circumstances. 
Its revelations are perfect. Every desire of the heart is 
met ; every inquiry of the soul is answered. Principles for 
the regulation of conduct, in every relationship of life, 
are unfolded. Eighteen centuries have failed to raise 
one question or evolve one relationship that Christianity 
does not meet. It has its unchanging elements, but these 
deal with the unchanging problems of human nature and 
human relation to God. Faith is the Divinely appointed 
means for purifying the heart; repentance is the means 
for changing the course of life; and baptism is the ordi- 



32 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

nance appointed for changing man's relationship to God. 
These can never change. 

7. The real scope of prophecy is thus made clear. 

It is, in the widest sense, instruction received by the 
prophet direct from God. It is the answer to man's felt 
need for knowledge, that is not obtainable from any purely 
human source. It is God's progressive revelation, con- 
tinuing till principles that govern every possible human 
relation are evolved. This finally was accomplished; and 
when it came to pass, the office of prophet expired by 
natural limitation. Every great and necessary question, 
whose answer was beyond the power of human knowledge 
and wisdom, had been answered. Then supernatural com- 
munications were no longer needed. The revelation given 
by Christ and his apostles completed the full measure 
of Divine truth, and prophecy ended. Consequently, the 
apostle Paul declared, " Whether there be prophecies, 
they shall fail; whether there be tongues [miraculous 
tongues], they shall cease; whether there be knowledge 
[miraculous knowledge], it shall vanish away." Why 
did Paul make such a statement? Evidently, because 
revelation would be complete; man's need of supernatural 
instruction having been met. The apostle goes on to de- 
clare, "Now abide th faith, hope, love — these three; but 
the greatest of these is love." These are the principles 
that lead man upward to the highest destiny; and, when 
the foundation for these had been laid in the supernatural 
relation, prophecies ceased, and the abiding forces re- 
mained. Having been instructed in all the duties per- 
taining to self, man and God, the question of human 
destiny still called for answer. Generation after genera- 
tion had passed over the borderland of time into eternity 
beyond, and no voice had come out of that mysterious 
realm to tell the story of man's future state. Nature 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 33 

kept silence ; but still man 's heart cried out for an answer 
to this, the greatest of all questions. To this inquiry, 
revelation gives no uncertain answer. God's voice is clear, 
especially as he speaks in the person of Jesus Christ, 
who brought life and immortality to light. The last 
words of revelation are well calculated to cheer the soul: 
"These are they who have come up through great tribu- 
lation, and have washed their robes and made them white 
in the blood of the Lamb. ' ' There could be no more fitting 
end than the beatific vision here disclosed. 



34 HEBREW PROPHECY. 



LECTURE III. 

PROPHECY— ITS NATURE, BEGINNINGS AND HISTORIC 
DEVELOPMENT. 



Introduction. 
1. While it is a most reasonable thing that God 
should speak to many it is none the less a most gracious 
and comforting truth, 

(1) I am living; this is a fact attested by my own con- 
sciousness. The fact of existence is questioned by no 
sane man. "Whence came I? Consciousness has no an- 
swer. Whither am I going? The eye of man can not 
penetrate the gloom that lies just beyond the confines of 
life. I turn to the best and wisest of the race, but only 
to find that they are as profoundly ignorant concerning 
these most interesting questions as myself. Other great 
questions rise up and call for answer. Is there a God? 
If so, what are his attributes? How does he regard me? 
Am I greater in his sight than the ox, or does he love 
me more than he loves the horse I drive? What are 
my duties and obligation to my Maker? The answer to 
these most important questions involves much of human 
weal or woe, yet who can give the needed information? 
Is not the fact that God has spoken to his creature in 
answer to these highest inquiries verily a most precious 
truth, since it gives us knowledge nowhere else to be found ? 

(2) The word prophecy is, therefore, full of mean- 
ing. It suggests great answers to burning questions. 
It suggests a nobler dignity for man than he could ever 
have dreamed of if left to himself. It suggests possi- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 35 

bilities otherwise unattainable. " Prophecy' ' is surely 
one of the noblest terms in human speech. Such con- 
siderations ought to quicken our desire to know all that 
may be known concerning this wonderful subject. 

As we pursue our inquiries in this interesting field, 
we will study: 



I. The Nature and Beginnings of Prophecy. 



1. The term "prophecy" seems to be very largely 
synonymous with the term "revelation." 

This we have already considered at some length, but 
on this point our minds should be clear owing to its fun- 
damental importance in the study of the subject. The 
term revelation may be somewhat broader in its significa- 
tion than the term prophecy, inasmuch as some revelations 
have come to man direct from God, or through the instru- 
mentality of angels, and consequently do not properly fall 
under the head of prophecy, but, with these exceptions, 
the terms are practically co-extensive in meaning. 

Some hold that this view of prophecy is too broad, 
claiming that the term applies to Divine communications 
only when made in certain forms — visions and dreams, 
but it would seem to be more in harmony with the whole 
tenor of Scripture teaching to make the term cover all 
Divine communications in which man acts as God's agent, 
whether the message was received in vision, dream or by 
spiritual illumination, the essential feature being the su- 
pernatural manner in receiving the message. Prophecy is, 
therefore, a generic term applicable to all Divine instruc- 
tions delivered to man through man, separable into dif- 
ferent kinds : First, as to manner of impartation into 
visions, dreams and supernatural spiritual illumination; 
second, as to subject-matter into instruction, warning, ex- 



36 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

hortation and prediction ; third, as to form into verbal and 
pictorial prophecies, the latter being dominated types. 

2. The sign and seal of the prophetic office was the 
miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit. 

This is separate and distinct from the abiding gift of 
the Spirit, which came as a new spiritual presence with the 
inauguration of the new institution. It is promised to all 
believers, and is to continue as their portion for all time, 
while the miraculous gift was given to comparatively few, 
and continued until revelation was complete. The Scrip- 
ture teaching on this point is very clear. We submit two 
quotations out of many that might be adduced: II. Pet. 
i. 21, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will 
of man; but holy men of Gfod spake as they were moved 
by the Holy Spirit.' ' Num. xi. 25: "And the Lord 
came down in a cloud, and spake unto him [Moses], and 
took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the 
seventy elders; and it came to pass that, when the spirit 
rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. " 

3. It is clear, therefore, that the prophet is the mouth- 
piece of God, as is also shown by the name that is used 
to designate these messengers. 

The Hebrew word "Nabi," the term translated prophet, 
is from "Naba," "to bubble forth. " The root idea seems 
to indicate that the "Nabi" speaks under some excitement 
or from some strong internal influence. It means to speak 
for or under the influence of another, or as the mouthpiece 
of another. We have a full explanation of the function in 
Exodus iv. 14, where God tells Moses that he will give him 
Aaron for his spokesman. "And thou shalt speak unto 
him [Aaron] and put words into his mouth: and I will 
be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you 
what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman 
["Nabi"] unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 37 

be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him 
instead of God." That is, Moses was God's "Nabi" unto 
Aaron, and Aaron was Moses' "Nabi" unto the people. 
This makes the meaning of the term clear. It may be ob- 
served that the prophet was God's mouthpiece, irrespective 
of the kind of message he had to deliver or of the way in 
w r hich the message was communicated to him. This leads 
to the further observation that the prophet was not wholly 
passive in God's hands, or, as Matthew Henry puts it, "not 
speaking trumpets through which the spirit spake, but 
speaking men, by wiiom the spirit spake." This is in per- 
fect accord w T ith the principle before mentioned that God 
does not call into use superfluous agencies. When he uses 
men through whom to speak, he makes use of their indi- 
vidual powers of speech so far as possible, only lifting 
them up to plains of thought and points of vision far above 
anything that is attainable by the natural powers of man. 
Beginning with and using the genius and strength of the 
individual, God adds to this native ability such increments 
of power, by the miraculous gift of his Holy Spirit as shall 
fully qualify his prophet to deliver the message he wishes 
to communicate. 

4. In view of the nature of prophecy, we are led to 
the conclusion that the function was cotemporaneous with 
hitman history from the beginning until the divine revela- 
tion was completed. 

We shall presently see that this conclusion is fully jus- 
tified. As before remarked, it would seem to be a most 
reasonable expectation that God would speak to his crea- 
ture man. We may go a step further and say that we 
would naturally expect God's communications to com- 
mence with the very beginning of the race. A prominent 
agnostic has said that if God speaks to man, it is more 
reasonable to expect him to speak directly to all men or 



38 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

to the great multitude, than to speak to the one man and 
through the one man to the many, but the fact that God 
has not chosen to do so is a sufficient answer to this objec- 
tion. God, who made man, certainly knows best how to 
address him, and, to say the least, it is not very becoming 
for man to find fault with God's method of speaking to 
his creature. He has chosen to give his message to the 
one man and reach the many through the medium of the 
one, and this method is doubtless best adapted to man as 
he is. Once, and once only, God used the method sug- 
gested by the great agnostic. He spoke to all the hosts 
of Israel from the top of Mount Sinai just before the giv- 
ing of the law, but the people were so overwhelmed by such 
a near and visible approach of the Divine majesty, and so 
terrified by the manifestations of God's glory, that they 
entreated Jehovah to speak to them not immediately, but 
mediately through the prophet, as had been his custom 
from the beginning. God declared that the request was 
proper, yea, that it was "well said," and granted it. Thus 
the matter was settled. God seems to have anticipated 
and answered the very objection that is made in our time 
by the disbelievers in revelation by giving a demonstra- 
tion of the utter impracticability of the method proposed. 
We may, therefore, safely conclude that from that time 
onward God's messages would be given through prophets. 
A study of the Scriptures fully justifies us, not only in 
this expectation, but in the further conclusion that God's 
communications would be continuous until man's need of 
supernatural instruction was fully met. AA 7 e are thus 
naturally led to a brief study of the history of prophecy. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 39 

II. The Old Testament Scriptures Furnish Us with 

a Very Clear View of the Historic Development 

of the Prophetic Function. 

1. There was a certain amount of pre-Mosaic prophecy 
as most surely was demanded in the very nature of the 
case. 

Before the canon of Scripture began to be written there 
were communications from God to his children through 
the medium of prophets who may be regarded as in some 
measure taking the place of a written revelation. These 
communications were not by any means so abundant and 
full as the later revelations to the chosen nation, and these 
in turn lacked much of the copious fullness of the perfect 
revelations in Christ and his apostles, but the revelations 
of the patriarchal age were at least beginnings, yea, per- 
haps all that were necessary or that could be profitably 
used in those early periods of human development. 

(1) We would naturally expect that God would speak 
to Adam and his companion, and the sacred record de- 
clares this to have been the case. He also spoke to Cain 
and probably to Abel, but as soon as men multiplied, it 
would not be expected that God would speak to each person, 
but would reach the many through the individual prophet. 

(2) Enoch was a prophet. Jude (verse 14) says of 
him, " Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of 
these things, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten 
thousand of his saints." It is a very remarkable thing 
that one of the very earliest prophets foretold the event 
that consummates the mediatorial reign of Christ and 
ushers in the final judgment. 

(3) Noah delivered God's message of warning and 
therefore takes his place in the ranks of the prophets. 

(4) Abraham is called a prophet by God himself, Gen. 



40 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

xx. 7, "Now therefore restore the man [Abraham] his 
wife ; for he is a prophet. ' ' 

(5) Jacob was a prophet as appears from Gen. xlix. 1, 
"And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather yourselves 
together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you 
in the last days. " This is a clear example of predictive 
prophecy, as were also the prophecies of Enoch and Noah 
referred to above. 

(6) The patriarchs in general were prophets and seem 
to be referred to as such in Psa. cv. 15. 

2. Moses comes next in order of time, and in him the 
function of prophecy appeared in such strength that he 
gave to it a new dignity and importance. 

He was the most illustrious of all the great line of Old 
Testament prophets. With him written prophecy began. 
He, by the inspiration of the spirit of God, gathered up 
and recorded, either from traditional sources or from de- 
tached documents, or from both, the fund of Divinely com- 
municated instruction that had been given to mankind 
through the prophets that had preceded him and put this 
knowledge in permanent form. To this he added much 
that was directly communicated by God to him, and in 
these ways he laid the foundations of written revelation. 
Those associated with him in his work were in possession 
of the prophetic gift, as the quotation from Num. xi. 
25 clearly shows. His sister Miriam is called a prophetess 
in Ex. xv. 20. She was the first woman so far as we know 
that exercised the function. 

To Moses the Lord spake face to face, and on the 
occasion of the giving of the law, after a season of forty 
days in God's presence, when he came back to his brethren 
his face shone so that the people were afraid to come near 
unto him. To no other was such an experience ever vouch- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 41 

safed, except to his great antitype on the occasion of his 
transfiguration. 

This great poetic function which blossomed out in such 
richness in Moses was, in the plan of God, to be an abiding 
gift until his revelation should be complete. It was not 
God's purpose, however, to commit this office to a particu- 
lar tribe of Israel, as he did the priestly office, but it was 
none the less to continue in connection w T ith the covenant 
people until the dispensation committed to them should ex- 
pire by limitation. As long as Moses lived he acted as 
God's medium of communication, assisted, as we have 
seen, by others chosen for the work. 

3. After the death of Moses and the occupation by the 
Israelites of the premised land, it appears that the spirit 
of God inspired and qualified men for deeds of warlike 
valor rather than to speak messages of Jehovah. 

Gideon, Samson, Othniel, Jeptha and Barak wrought 
valiantly for their country under the special endowment of 
God's spirit. It was an age of warfare — necessarily so. 
The idolatrous nations must be driven out that the chosen 
people may have a country free from the polluting influ- 
ences of idolatry, wherein they may establish themselves 
as a nation and carry out God's plans in the great prepa- 
ration he was making for the coming universal kingdom. 
During this period the people w r ere not left entirely with- 
out communications from God. Messages were sent by 
angels to special individuals, and on one occasion at least 
to the people, Judg. ii. 1-3 ; but the function of prophet 
seemed, for the time, to have been largely discontinued. 
Twice only in the Book of Judges is the office of prophet 
mentioned. Deborah is called a prophetess, Judg. iv. 4 ; and 
in chapter vi. 8 we read of a prophet that God sent with 
a message to Israel. It is furthermore expressly stated 
that in those days there was no open vision, I. Sam. iii. 1, 



42 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

and that as a consequence the word of the Lord was pre- 
cious. This was most natural. An age of war is not a 
period favorable to the production of literature and the 
fostering of learning. Writing never flourishes under such 
conditions. The time had not fully arrived to establish 
schools of the prophets. Furthermore, what was needed 
just then was not an additional stock of inspired teaching, 
but a Divine strengthening of the martial spirit to qualify 
mighty leaders for the great and inevitable conflict already 
begun, and which must continue until the enemies that 
troubled Israel were subdued. The open vision which had 
been so conspicuous under Moses, having been for the 
time being withheld, the written word became all the more 
precious, since this was now the chief source on which re- 
liance must be placed for information and guidance, and 
happily God had given through Moses a rich fund of in- 
struction for the control of his people in all their relig- 
ious, social and political duties. 

4. A new epoch in the history of prophecy began with 
Samuel. 

Prophecy which had hitherto existed as a function now 
took on the dignity of an office. Samuel may be regarded 
as the founder of the prophetic office. Peter, in his memo- 
rable sermon in Solomon's porch in the temple, in re- 
ferring to the prophets, began with Samuel. Now com- 
menced that wonderful and uninterrupted succession of 
prophets that did not cease until after the captivity of 
Judah, when the Old Testament canon was completed by 
Malachi. From this time onward God continued from 
time to time to speak unto his elect nation through proph- 
ets. They were the watchmen over the people, and espe- 
cially over the theocracy which was established in the days 
of Samuel. They possessed a dignity and importance su- 
perior even to that of the king. They exercised great au- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 43 

thority. They judged the people and their leaders as well, 
and their authority was generally recognized. Even the 
king regarded it as an honor to be seen in the company of 
a prophet. Saul said to Samuel, I. Sam. xv. 30, "Honor 
me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and 
before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship 
the Lord thy God." A study of the prophetic writings 
clearly shows that one of the great functions of the Old 
Testament prophets was that of declaring God's judg- 
ments. The priests offered sacrifices for the sins of the 
people which spoke of pardon and peace with God, but 
the prophets set forth the merited doom of the ungodly, 
and here again we have disclosed the two forces that God 
has ever employed in controlling man — -hope and fear. 
This function which the prophets so faithfully exercised 
no doubt contributed largely to the respect and reverence 
in which they were held. 

Under Samuel the schools of the prophets were founded. 
The many prophets of the day were brought together for 
instruction. Doubtless the sacred literature that had ac- 
cumulated was studied, but the nature and scope of the 
instruction given is largely a matter of conjecture. Sacred 
music may have been one of the branches taught, since 
prophecy was often expressed in poetic measures and sung 
with the accompaniment of instrumental music. 

It should be observed, however, that the gathering of 
the prophets into schools did not prevent them from lead- 
ing active lives. They were men of the people, and did 
not lead the life cf the recluse. They moved in intimate 
daily touch with the popular life of the nation. 

5. Soon after the founding of the schools of the proph- 
ets, there appeared on the scene one who not only main- 
tained the high dignity of the prophetic office, hut clothed 



44 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

his message in such beauty of form that it has been the 
admiration of all succeeding generations. 

I need not say that I refer to King David, who was not 
only a prophet, but one of the greatest poets of all time. 
We reserve further reference to him for a subsequent lec- 
ture on prophecy and its relations to poetry. 

6. Up to the time of Amos, no exclusively prophetic 
book had been written. 

That is, no book was confined exclusively to the pro- 
ductions of any single prophet. "We have many prophetic 
utterances preserved, and, in fact, the inspired writing as 
a whole are in the broad sense of the term prophecy, but, 
being in character largely composed of history and law, 
they are distinguished very properly from the prophetic 
books written by the men whose names they bear. Great 
prophets subsequent to the time of David appeared, such 
as Elijah and Elisha, who were raised up for special serv- 
ices and whom God sent on particular errands, but they 
did not put their prophecies into writing, and consequently 
but few of their utterances have been preserved. In II. 
Chron. xxi. 12-15, a letter of Elijah to Jeroboam is given 
to us, but, with this exception, we have no account of any 
writing by these illustrious men. If *t be thought strange 
that these messengers of God did not commit their proph- 
ecies to writing, let it be borne in mind that writing is not 
absolutely essential to the strength or perpetuity of a 
work. Our Saviour, who spake as never man spake, and 
whose sayings have had more power than all the words of 
men combined, did not commit his utterances to writing. 
Once, and once only so far as we know, he wrote with 
his finger in the sand, but what he wrote we know not. 
His life was the light of men. These early prophets of 
Israel, like our Saviour, lived lives that were open epistles 
that could not be misunderstood. Their work was for their 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 45 

own time and generation very largely. They were men of 
action and oral discourse. 

7. We now come to the period of written prophecy 
which gave us a mass of literature of extraordinary value. 

It came to pass in the course of time that prophets 
arose who wrote at least some of their speeches or ser- 
mons. The exact dates of many of their prophecies can 
not be determined, but we can arrive at a conclusion that 
is at least approximately correct in most cases. The ear- 
liest of these written prophecies were produced in the days 
of Uzziah and Jeroboam, King of Judah and Israel re- 
spectively, a little more than two hundred years before 
the captivity of Judah, or a little before the middle of 
the eighth century before Christ. Amos was the first of 
the writing prophets, and Hosea and Micah followed very 
soon. The dates of Joel and Jonah have not been very 
definitely determined. Then followed Nahum, who wrote 
after the deportation of the ten tribes, and following him 
in order came Habakkuk and Zephaniah. We are now ap- 
proaching the captivity of Judah, and both of these proph- 
ets foretell the impending doom. 

We have purposely omitted to mention Isaiah, the 
majestic prophet of Judah, in the order w T hich he ap- 
peared, desiring to give him more than a passing notice. 
He, according to Jewish tradition, belonged to the royal 
family. At any rate, he was much at court according to 
his own story. As a poetic genius he deserves to take 
rank among the greatest poets of the ages. He prophesied 
concerning Cyrus, which prophecy, according to Josephus, 
induced him to allow the Jews to return to their own land. 
Some of his predictions were fulfilled during his lifetime, 
which fact gave him great influence with the people. His 
prophecies extended over a period of fifty years, begin- 
ning about one hundred and fifty years before the cap- 



46 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

tivity of Judah. His style of writing is sublime, in some 
places becoming very lofty and majestic. I purposely 
avoid the controversy concerning the two Isaiahs, which 
is foreign to the design of this lecture, although I will 
say that the arguments for the double authorship have not 
seemed to me at all conclusive. 

The book that bears the name of this great prophet 
deals with many subjects, but it is peculiarly minute and 
clear in its Messianic predictions. So specific are the 
utterances concerning Christ, that portions read almost 
like history. It has been well said that so long as the 
fifty-third chapter of Isaiah remains, the divinity of Christ 
is established beyond the possibility of successful assault. 
No prophet has had larger influence either in his own or 
in succeeding generations. Isaiah is quoted more in the 
New Testament than any other prophet, and even down to 
the present time no book of the Old Testament is read or 
admired so much as this book. 

The prophets of the exile come next in order. Jere- 
miah, the great weeping prophet, stands out as a striking 
though pathetic figure. He prophesied just prior to the 
captivity, but while bewailing the calamity about to fall 
on his people, he recognized that their doom could not be 
averted. Although a mild and gentle man, he was, never- 
theless, fearless in the discharge of his duty. He witnessed 
the carrying away of his people and the destruction of 
Jerusalem and the attendant horrors, and this was the oc- 
casion for the writing of the wonderful book called "Lam- 
entations." 

Obadiah wrote a very little later than Jeremiah, in all 
probability just subsequent to the destruction of the city 
and the temple. 

Ezekiel was a very influential prophet of the exile, who 
dwelt with a colony of Jews on the river Chebar ii? 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 47 

Mesopotamia. He was contemporaneous with Jeremiah 
and Daniel, but the subject-matter of his writings occupied 
an intermediate place in point of time between the two. 
The bulk of Jeremiah's prophecies w T ere delivered before 
Ezekiel began, and the bulk of Daniel's writings w r ere 
produced after he had closed his w;ork. 

Daniel w r as the great and accomplished prophet who 
dwelt at the King's court in Babylon. He was pre-emi- 
nently a predictive prophet, setting forth in minutest de- 
tails the future of his nation and the fates of four powerful 
world kingdoms that were to arise. There is also a very 
remarkable Messianic prophecy in the seventy prophetic 
weeks which he mentions and which find an exact fulfill- 
ment in the coming of Christ. 

The prophetic books of the restoration are three in 
number: Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the latter com- 
pleting the Old Testament canon. The general purpose of 
the first two is very similar, looking to the stimulation and 
encouragement of the people toward the building of the 
temple, while in the latter a striking Messianic element is 
found, thus closing the Old Testament canon in a very 
fitting way. Then for a period of four hundred years the 
function of prophecy is interrupted, but destined to again 
break forth in still greater strength and power. 

III. In the Scriptures of the New Testament We 
Have the Fullness of the Divine Revelation and 
Consequently the Crowning Glory of the Pro- 
phetic Function. 

The Divine communications which had been vouch- 
safed to man from his earliest appearance in his Edenic 
home, thence onward through the patriarchal and Jewish 
dispensations in continually increasing measure, are now 
to be given in such superabundant fullness as shall meet 



48 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

every want, restore the broken connection between man 
and God, regulate human conduct in every possible rela- 
tionship, and that, too, continuously through the ages and 
finally accomplish the one remaining needful thing of 
giving to man a vision of his everlasting dwelling-place 
of the most ravishing beauty, thus closing the mission of 
prophecy. 

1. The first New Testament prophet, although he lived 
and died under the Jewish dispensation, as did also his 
Master whom he came to announce, was John the Baptist. 

He was not only a prophet but a subject of prophecy. 
Malachi said (chap. iii. 1), "Behold, I will send my mes- 
senger, and he shall prepare the way before me," and in 
chap. iv. 5 he said, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the 
prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful 
day of the Lord." Jesus bore testimony concerning John 
declaring, "This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I 
send my messenger before my face, which shall prepare 
the way before thee" (Matt. xi. 10). He also says, verse 
14, "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for 
to come." It is perfectly clear that Jesus regarded John 
the Baptist as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi. 
No higher compliment could be paid by one person to an- 
other than Jesus paid to him in the language recorded by 
Matthew (xi. 9-11), "But what went ye out for to see? 
A prophet ? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. ' y 
"Verily I say unto you, Among those born of women 
there hath not risen a greater than John the Bap- 
tist." His birth was miraculously announced to his 
father, Zacharias, as recorded in Luke i. 13-17, where 
it is declared that he would be filled with the Holy 
Spirit from birth and that he would go before his Lord 
in the spirit and power of Elias. Zacharias afterward 
prophetically set forth the dignity of his son in his won- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 49 

derful song which the Holy Spirit inspired him to utter, 
Luke i. 76-79, "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet 
of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the 
Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation 
unto his people by the remission of their sins, through 
the tender mercy of our God whereby the dayspring from 
on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in 
darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the 
way of peace.' ' Truly a noble speech and one worthy of 
its great author, the spirit of God. John's manner of life 
bore a close resemblance to that of the ancient prophets 
of Israel. He was an ascetic. He lived in a very plain 
way. We are told that he "had his raiment of camel's 
hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat 
was locusts and wild honey" (Matt. iii. 4). He, like all the 
prophets, set before the people an object-lesson in frugal- 
ity and simplicity of life, from which we may gather the 
great truth, that luxury and bodily indulgence are hostile 
to, and destructive of, piety and the nobler qualities of 
the soul. 

The preaching of John reminds us very much of the 
exhortations and admonitions of the old prophets. There 
is the same lofty morality, the same stern rebuke of sin, 
the same call to holy living. Truly the resemblance be- 
tween him and the bold, self-denying, uncompromising 
prophet of King Ahab's day is very striking. He came to 
do a much-needed work and he did it with wonderful fidel- 
ity and power. He aroused the whole country and called 
the multitudes to his baptism, but he never lost sight of his 
true position or became in the least degree vain or con- 
ceited. He knew he was only the harbinger of a greater 
that was to follow. He said, "He that cometh after me 
is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear." 
When Jesus came to be baptized he said, "I have need to 



50 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" And on ac- 
other occasion when he saw Jesus coming he said to those 
with him, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the 
sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, After me 
cometh a man which is preferred before me ; for he was 
before me." One of the noblest utterances of this great 
man, and yet in a sense one of the most pathetic, is his 
reply to those who brought the report to him that Jesus 
was baptizing, and that all men were coming to him. 
Without the slightest apparent jealousy, he said, "Ye 
yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ, 
but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is 
the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom which 
standeth and heareth him rejoiceth greatly, because of 
the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. 
He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh 
from above is above all" (John iii. 28-31). There is a 
noble, magnanimous spirit in these words well worthy of 
the one who uttered them. Having completed his great 
mission by the introduction of the Messiah, he, without a 
single complaint, drops into the background and accepts a 
martyr's fate. Along with John, and prior to the intro- 
duction of Christ, should be mentioned Elizabeth, the 
mother of John, who by the spirit prophesied to Mary con- 
cerning her son to be born, and Mary, who, thrilled with the 
wonderful thought that she was to become the mother of 
the long-promised Messiah, poured forth her soul in the 
most beautiful song recorded in Luke i. 46-55, beginning: 
"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath re- 
joiced in God my Saviour. ' ' "We can readily see by the new 
and wonderful awakening of the prophetic spirit, and by 
the direct and explicit announcement of the great har- 
binger, that we have reached the climacteric point in the de- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 51 

velopment of prophecy, and we reverently and expectantly 
uncover our heads while we listen to: 

2. The greatest of all prophets; the one for whom the 
ages had ivaited; the one to whom the hearts of the noblest 
of our race have clung with fondest affection, and who has 
shown himself to be, as the prophet foretold, "The desire 
of all nations." 

How can any one adequately set forth the richness and 
fullness of the prophetic inheritance we have in Jesus of 
Nazareth? In his day it was said of him, "He spake as 
never man spake," and, notwithstanding all the accumu- 
lated treasures of wisdom that the giant intellects of two 
millenniums have added since these words were uttered, we 
may just as truthfully say to-day, ' ' He spake as never man 
spake." His advent was announced by angels before his 
birth and his coming heralded by angels' song, "Glory to 
God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good 
will." Shepherds worshiped at his manger cradle; the 
Maji made a long pilgrimage to do him honor, while yet 
he was an infant in his mother's arms. The expectation 
begotten by these marvelous signs was more than met by 
his wonderful life and teachings. In him we see the object 
caught in the focus of the prophetic telescope centuries 
before he came. Truly was it said, "To him gave all the 
prophets witness." Without him revelation is reduced to 
a meaningless puzzle, but with him as the central object 
to which every prophetic fingerboard points, it takes on 
beautiful harmony and symmetry. With Jesus as our 
prophet* we understand the character, plans and purposes 
of God as Tvould otherwise have been impossible. "Ha 
was God manifest in the flesh." "He was the brightness 
of the Father's glory and the express image of his person." 
He declared, ' ' He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. ' ' 
"I take of the Father and show unto you." "I and my 



52 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

Father are one. ' ' In him and in his life we see the original 
of the prophetic picture drawn by the great artist, Isaiah, 
which has been the wonder of men in all ages since. No 
question was too hard for him to answer, no problem too 
difficult for him to solve. His statements and utterances 
have never had to be amended or revised, and must it not 
be so, since in him we have God speaking to his children? 
Other prophets were qualified for their work by the mirac- 
ulous gift of the Spirit, but in all cases by measure or in 
limited degree, but to Jesus was given the spirit "without 
measure," that is, in all fullness and perfection. Conscious 
of his own powers, he declared, "Without me ye can do 
nothing." "I am the bread that cometh down from 
heaven, of whjch, if a man eat, he shall never hunger any 
more." "If a man thirst, let him come to me and drink." 
John said of him, "In him was life and the life was the 
light of men." "To as many as received him, to them 
gave he power to become the sons of God." "And of his 
fulness have all we received, and grace for grace, for the 
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by 
Jesus Christ." But why multiply quotations showing the 
dignity of his personality, his Divine character and the 
matchless wisdom and mighty sweep of his teachings? We 
may say that there is only one primary and absolutely 
fundamental presence in the Bible, and that is Jesus of 
Nazareth, who was God on the plane of human action. 
Every other person is secondary. Everything else clus- 
ters around him. He is the quickening spirit that gathers 
the past and future into one, marries them in divorceless 
union and gives continuity to all history, sacred and pro- 
fane. While the whole Bible is full of Jesus, the four his- 
tories called the Gospels give us a record of his work and 
words that lift him at once to the supreme place in wis- 
dom, authority and power and show him to be in truth 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 53 

"Emanuel" — God with us. Each history, however, pre- 
sents a little different phase of his life. Matthew shows 
him to be the promised Messiah — the gospel for the Jew; 
Mark depicts him as the Son of God exercising his mighty 
power — the gospel for the Roman; Luke presents him in 
his aspects of wisdom and as the revealer of truth — the gos- 
pel for the Greek; John presents his spiritual aspects, 
giving us much of his inner life and thought — the gospel 
for the church or for persons as they shall ascend in spir- 
itual knowledge and perceptions; and no matter how far 
we may advance in spiritual development, we will never 
pass beyond the conceptions of Christ as given by John. 
Nothing more will ever be needed, but this gospel will say 
to men as they move upward in spiritual and intellectual 
power, even till the end of time, "These are written that 
ye may believe." 

If there is one feature of Christ more wonderful than 
another (and yet nothing ought to be wonderful when we 
consider that he was one with the Father), it is the per- 
fect agreement between his inner and outer life — the per- 
fect symmetry of his life, consisting of thoughts, purposes, 
words and deeds. No inequality is anywhere discoverable. 
He was equally great in thought and action. His physical 
miracles were no greater than his inward miracles of 
wisdom and understanding. His outer life of action was 
no greater than his inner life of purpose. His sermons in 
word were no greater than his sermons in deeds. There 
was perfect agreement everywhere. Thus everything con- 
nected with him was a revelation. He spoke prophecy and 
was prophecy. No better summing up of the whole can 
be made that John gave us in the words, "His life was 
the light of men." 

But it w T as not the purpose of Jesus to complete the 
revelation that God intended for men. He poured forth 



64 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

instruction like a gushing fountain, but he knew there 
would be something still to be revealed after his work was 
completed. Therefore, he said, "These things have I 
spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the 
Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will 
send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring 
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said 
unto you" (John xiv. 25, 26). Consequently after he had 
given his apostles their great commission to go out as his 
embassadors into all the world, he said, "Tarry ye in 
Jerusalem until ye are endued with power from on high." 

3. We are now naturally led to the closing up of the 
great New Testament epoch of prophecy. 

Jesus had ascended to heaven and had taken his seat 
on the mediatorial throne. The apostles, in obedience to 
his instructions, were tarrying together in Jerusalem, wait- 
ing for the promised power. In harmony with Christ's 
promise the Spirit came in visible manifestation, and the 
waiting ones were filled with the Holy Spirit which has 
ever been the seal of the prophetic office in its miraculous 
endowments. This, however, must be carefully discrim- 
inated from the gift of the Spirit which is given to all 
true Christians as an abiding guest, but which does not 
carry with it supernatural power, and, consequently, does 
not qualify men to be prophets. 

The apostles, endued with power from on high, were 
now ready to take up and carry forward the prophetic 
work to its completion. Peter had the honor of being the 
first to speak under the great commission of Christ. Fol- 
lowing him, the others took up the story of the cross, and 
in the course of a few years it was carried throughout the 
entire Roman Empire. Soon three of the inspired his- 
tories of Christ were written, and the fourth was pro- 
duced before the close of the first century by the favorite 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 55 

apostle of Christ. After the establishment of churches, 
there followed an inspired account of the apostolic labors 
by Luke, and from time to time special epistles were written 
to churches and individuals, and general epistles as well — 
in all, twenty-one in number. In these all phases of Chris- 
tian life and problems of church government and discipline 
were discussed by inspired penmen. Finally came the 
great Apocalypse of John, disclosing the fates and for- 
tunes of the church, the final victory of the saints and the 
ushering in of the everlasting kingdom, when Christ, our 
King, shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even 
the Father, that he may be all in all. 

Paul, the apostle, gives a somewhat broad summary of 
the various kinds of instructors in Eph. iv. 11: "And he 
[Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and 
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers ;" and 
in the thirteenth verse the object of it all is stated, "Till 
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowl- 
edge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the 
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. " The 
first two offices must of necessity cease. The apostles, 
having been witnesses of the resurrection, could have no 
successors in office, as a witness can not have a successor, 
and prophets would cease, as we have before said, when 
revelation was complete. The offices of evangelist, pastor 
and teacher must remain, since the primary revelation 
given through prophets must continue to be taught for 
all time. 

The function of prophet was not only exercised by the 
apostles, but by many others whom God miraculously en- 
dowed to act as teachers and also to foretell events. That 
the office occupied a very prominent place in the early 
church is shown by the passage in I. Cor. xiv. 29-32: "Let 
the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 



frfi HEBREW PROPHECY. 

If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the 
first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, 
that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the 
spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.' ' Other 
passages might be quoted to show that the exercise of the 
prophetic gift was very common, but this, like the gift of 
tongues and of miracles, was soon to pass away. All 
miraculous gifts and powers are given to meet extraor- 
dinary emergencies or to establish extraordinary claims. 
When the purpose is fulfilled, the extraordinary endow- 
ment is withdrawn, but the ordinary abides. Nor need we 
deplore the withdrawal of the prophetic function. The 
taking away of the gift does not take away prophecy. Our 
Saviour, in the parable of Lazarus and Dives, makes Ab- 
raham say to Dives when he requested that a word of 
warning be sent to his brethren, ' ' They have Moses and the 
prophets; if they will not hear them, neither would they 
hear one though he rose from the dead." We may apply 
this language to men to-day with even added force. They 
have Moses and the prophets and Christ and his apostles. 
If they will not hear them, they would not hear an angel 
from heaven. No new revelations are needed, and none 
will be given. By a proper use of what we have, "the 
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto 
all good works.' ' The most that we can hope to do now 
is to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the truth — to 
come into continually enlarging conceptions of God's holy 
word which hath been spoken to us by the mouths of his 
prophets since the world began. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 5? 



LECTURE IV. 



PROPHECY— ITS KINDS AND THE CRITERIA EOR DE- 
TERMINING ITS TRUTH. 



Introduction. 

1. To magnify an opportunity is to enhance its pos- 
sibilities for good. 

The man who magnifies his office serves his constitu- 
ents best. The student who takes a large view of his 
privileges gets the largest profit for his work. That which 
is little in our eye is little in our hands. If our work is 
great in our estimation, we will do it in a great way. Let 
us, therefore, magnify this study, for we can never make 
it in our minds as great as it is in fact. 

It as far transcends any communication made by man 
to man as Divine utterances transcend the human. It 
should, therefore, arrest and hold our closest and most 
sympathetic attention, and stimulate such an intense in- 
terest as no other subject could have power to do. We 
may very properly apply to ourselves the words of God 
spoken to Moses when he approached the burning bush: 
1 ' Take off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place where- 
on thou standest is holy ground/ ' Then let us with pro- 
foundest reverence and deepest yearning seek an under- 
standing of this wonderful theme. 

2. Perhaps it is safe to say that of the three great 
functions of authority — royalty, priesthood and prophecy , 
the latter is the most sacred, if there can be gradation in 
rank between Divinely ordained things. 

Here God seems to come into closest relations with 
man. Government, although appointed of God, is human 



58 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

in its administration. Priesthood, although a Divine 
office, represents the function of worship, and is, therefore, 
performed by man, but prophecy expresses a closer re- 
lation of God ; and is less dependent on the human factor. 
Here all that is of vital importance rests with God. Man's 
part as most is secondary and incidental. Hence, as we 
might expect, the Scriptures always magnify the dignity 
and importance of God's word. The writer of Hebrews 
declares, "The word of God is living and active, sharper 
than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the di- 
viding of soul and spirit, of both- joints and marrow, and 
quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.' ' 
Trusting that we may maintain a truly reverential 
spirit in our study of this transcendently important theme, 
we will consider: 

I. The Different Forms of Prophecy ; or, Rather, the 

Different Ways in which the Divine Message 

is Communicated to the Prophet. 

It has seemed good to the heavenly Father, in ad- 
dressing his children through human agency, to transmit 
his message in different manners. The prophet Joel (chap, 
ii. 28) mentions different forms of prophecy: "And it shall 
come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit 
upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall 
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your 
young men shall see visions. " Two, and possibly three, 
forms are here referred to. The writer of the Hebrew 
letter informs us (chap. i. 1) that "God spake unto the 
fathers by the prophets/' not only "by divers portions,' ' 
but in "divers manners." That God has done this is a 
sufficient justification of its wisdom. But to ask why God 
chose different forms of communication is in no sense an 
irreverent enquiry, and it surely is a very interesting one. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 5d 

Perhaps we may not know all of God's reasons for ad- 
dressing his prophets in different ways, but a little re- 
flection will disclose to us some considerations that even to 
one finite minds seem to justify the Divine wisdom in the 
choice of methods used. 

(1) May it not be true that communications in visions 
and dreams are more vividly presented than they would 
be if uttered in words? 

The message seems to take on a concrete character in 
the vision and dream, especially since it is symbolically 
represented in forms that seem to be real. Truth that 
takes on visible shape, even though it be seen in vision or 
dream, becomes for the time an incarnation, and then it 
exerts its most powerful influence. This being true, the 
prophet himself would be more deeply impressed and would 
consequently speak and act with more earnestness and 
intenseness than if he received his message verbally. 
Closely related to these two forms is that of spiritual il- 
lumination, in which the prophet was placed under strong 
mental excitement and his mind was very vividly and pow- 
erfully impressed by the supernatural experience. Thus 
a very strong impression was made and a result produced 
similar in its vividness to that secured by the vision and 
the dream. 

"We can readily see, therefore, that the effect produced 
by these methods of communication was to deepen the im- 
pression made upon the prophet. We may, therefore, con- 
clude that one strong reason for their use lay in the 
prophet's subjective condition that was thereby superin- 
duced and which was favorable for the impressive delivery 
of the message. 

(2) It is furthermore true that these methods of com- 
munication leave the prophet free to express the Divine 
truth in his own way. It would seem, at first thought, 



60 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

that this would not be an advantage, inasmuch as God 
could certainly choose the best form of words in which 
to couch his revelation, but herein lurks a very evident 
fallacy. It is not a question merely of the best form of 
words. Truth may be presented in faultless form, and 
yet have very little power over the hearer. The person- 
ality of the speaker has much to do with the influence of 
his message. For God to choose the exact words w T ould be 
to reduce the prophet to a mere machine, "A speaking 
trumpet," as it has been called, and thus destroy his in- 
dividuality, and it is this that has power. Faultless words 
do not count for as much as personality. A man is strong 
when he is himself. No man can speak truth in the words 
and manner of another as powerfully as he can speak it 
in his ow r n way. All methods of elocution, therefore, 
which teach men to be mere imitators, are worse than use- 
less. The sentiment must be very deeply impressed upon 
the mind; it must become intensely real before it can be 
spoken with most telling effect. The thought must belong 
to the man before he can deliver it to another; it must 
control the soul of the speaker before he can cause it to 
dominate his hearers. God did not choose to destroy the 
individuality of his prophets. He picked men of deep 
feeling, strong personality, striking idiosyncrasies, and 
then transmitted his message to them so as to make a 
deep impression and still leave them free in the exercise 
of their personal peculiarities of style and manner, and 
this fact lends an added charm to the prophetic writings. 

But to take up the discussion of the different forms of 
prophecy in a more specific way, be it observed that: 

1. The dream, while perhaps the simplest form of 
prophecy is, nevertheless, perfectly real and possesses 
great intrinsic value. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 61 

Doubtless there is more skepticism regarding the 
prophetic dream than concerning any other form of proph- 
ecy. Those who are ready on the slightest provocation to 
discredit the supernatural, are very ready to cast aside 
this phase of prophecy as scarcely worthy of serious con- 
sideration; but unless all communications claiming to be 
supernatural are to be rejected, there is no reason for 
denying its validity. Because dreams are superinduced 
ordinarily by natural causes, it is by no means necessary 
to conclude that they have never been produced by super- 
natural agency. We should simply recognize the necessity 
of carefully discriminating between the natural and the 
supernatural, that we may not mistake the one for the 
other. 

What is a dream? We have all passed through the 
experience repeatedly, but the explanations psychology 
offers do not appear to be very radical or satisfactory. 
After all has been said that perhaps can be said, there is 
something about the phenomenon that borders on the 
wonderful. The individual seems to be entirely passive 
during the peculiar psychical action. He can neither 
bring on the experience, arrest it nor drive it away by an 
act of the will. It comes and goes independent of any 
volition, and yet the impression made is real and remains 
with wonderful distinctness. The intellect seems to be 
acting, the emotional nature is stirred and yet reason and 
will seem for the time being to have lost their power. 
The various kinds of intellectual and emotional activities 
go forward with unusual freedom, but entirely without 
reference to external realities. We are able, however, to 
trace some connection between physical condition and 
dreams. Disease, overeating or some abnormal condition 
of the body or physical disturbance superinduces dreams, 
and we may probably conclude with safety that this is the 



62 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

ordinary explanation. These seems to be a sort of normal 
balance between the physical and psychical man, which, 
when properly maintained, results in the ordinary mental 
activities, but when disturbed allows the intellect and 
emotions to rush on tumultuously uncontrolled by judg- 
ment, will or any external considerations. This explana- 
tion does not account for the phenomenon farther than 
to show that the abnormal physical state and the strange 
psychical experience exist simultaneously, and hence prob- 
ably have some real causal connection. This being true, 
we have only to suppose that the inner balance between 
the physical and the mental is disturbed by a supernatural 
agent to find the explanation of the prophetical dream. 
Is there anything unreasonable in this? May not God 
in his wisdom have seen fit to communicate with his prophet 
in this strange and yet most impressive and vivid manner, 
at the same time giving him such indubitable assurance of 
the supernatural character of the experience as would leave 
no doubt in his mind? There would seem to be nothing 
either antecedently or concurrently improbable about this, 
and we may therefore give ready credence to this form of 
prophecy which occupies quite a conspicuous place in the 
Bible. 

Joseph had prophetic dreams which in part caused the 
hatred of his brethren, God communicated with his 
servants frequently in dreams, nor was the dream confined 
to the chosen people. The rulers of Egypt and Babylon 
had prophetic dreams which so impressed them that they 
took great pains to find interpreters which they found in 
the Divinely inspired prophets — Joseph and Daniel. Later 
under the Christian dispensation the dream was a recog- 
nized form of prophecy; in fact, Peter in the first gospel 
sermon referred to Joel's prophecy quoted above and 
declared that this was then finding fulfillment. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 63 

The dream must, therefore, be recognized as one phase 
of prophecy and the true prophetic character must be 
determined by the tests applicable to other forms of Di- 
vine communication. God, who made man with all of his 
psychical possibilities, made it not only possible for him 
to dream, but made it apparently impossible for him to 
refrain from dreaming. With most people the experience 
is not rare, but of almost daily recurrence. Shall not the 
author of the soul be able to stimulate to action any of its 
potencies by supernatural means and direct them for the 
accomplishment of his own ends whenever in his wisdom 
he sees it to be necessary? To deny to him this power is to 
limit him to the natural in all his methods of operation 
and hence to rob him of the very attributes of Deity. It 
may be also remarked at this point that the belief in the 
supernatural nature of some dreams is as universal as man. 
In this respect it is like the belief in the doctrine of the 
immortality of the soul. In the literature of all ancient 
peoples we find traces of this idea. Certainly believers in 
the one true and living God should find no trouble in 
believing him to be able to use this form of mental action 
for his own wise purposes. 

2. The vision or ecstatic state which next invites our 
attention is also a genuine form of Divine communication. 

This phase of prophecy is very common, and, while in 
some respects it resembles the dream, it is yet an entirely 
distinct experience. We may get some idea of its nature 
from those nervous derangements in which the individual 
has a remarkable play of the intellectual and emotional 
powers, such as is ordinarily never experienced. The men- 
tal impressions are not made through the usual channels 
of the senses, but apparently independent of them. Per- 
sons in this condition have strange powers. They may see 
with closed eyes and hear when in an apparently uncon- 



64 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

scious state. "While passing through such experiences, some- 
times the most wonderful intellectual feats are performed. 
Difficult problems are solved without conscious reasoning 
process, and other mental activities accomplished entirely 
beyond the normal capabilities of the individual. This 
seems to show that the soul's activities, while ordinarily set 
in motion through the physical senses, are yet not entirely 
dependent upon them. The soul can surely act independ- 
ent of the body or there could be no conscious existence 
beyond the grave. If this be so, may it not be true that the 
soul and body may be for a time partially divorced by 
some pathological or artificial means, and that when in 
this condition the soul acts with great freedom. There 
are instances on record of persons who have been nigh unto 
drowning, but, having been resuscitated, have borne testi- 
mony to the fact that in the extreme moment when doubt- 
less the soul was partially releasing its hold upon the body, 
mental activities were very swift and strong. Things were 
remembered that had been forgotten for years, and the 
whole life seemed to pass instantaneously in review before 
the eye of the soul. May not this experience be similar or 
closely akin to that experienced in the ecstatic state? 

In this condition, as in the dream, the intellectual and 
emotional natures act independent of volition and unin- 
fluenced by external realities. This state of trance or ec- 
stacy is brought on by some powerful excitement of the 
nervous system which may result from natural or artificial 
causes. Diseases may produce the phenomenon, or external 
stimulant either consciously and deliberately employed or 
exercised by the will and power of another. Since it is 
possible to so excite the nervous system as to bring on the 
experience, we need not be surprised to find that persons 
have learned the art of doing so and that it has been used 
as a means of personal gain by practicing upon the ere- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 65 

dulity and superstition of the unsophisticated Doubtless 
in many instances the deluded devotees, self- deceived, sup- 
posed the ecstatic state to be supernaturally caused In all 
such cases the means employed consist of certain bodily 
movements, such as leaping and dancing and whirling 
around for a long period until the physical energies be- 
come exhausted, and often the body was cut with knives. 
This is accomplished by monotonous and long-continued 
repetitions of words or prayers. In this way the individ- 
ual works himself into a sort of frenzy, until finally, the 
physical energies having been overcome, the nervous system 
is so powerfully excited that a result is secured for a short 
time similar to that produced by disease. The case of the 
four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal that contended 
with Elijah (I. Kings xviii. 26-29) is an illustration of this 
artificial manner of bringing on the ecstatic state. Doubt- 
less the prophetesses of Greece and Rome that presided at 
the noted shrines threw themselves into trances by artifi- 
cial means. Either such is described above or by breathing 
noxious vapors arising from clefts in the rocks. The same 
phenomena is witnessed to-day among the Mohammedan 
Dervishes and the Indian Fakirs, and something very sim- 
iliar is practiced among the American Indians. 

The ecstatic state in which prophetic visions were seen 
was brought on by supernatural agency. The Holy Spirit 
acted upon the prophet as the exciting cause. We have a 
case in point when the Spirit of God came upon Saul (I. 
Sam. x. 10-12 and xix. 23, 24), and caused him to prophesy. 
This led to the saying, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 
In the case of the true prophets of Israel this state was 
never produced by artificial means, but in every instance 
by the agency of God's Spirit. In this respect the Hebrew 
religion presents a striking contrast to the other religions 
of the world, whose so-called prophets invariably bring on 



66 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

the trance by artificial agency. This leads us to observe 
that the vision or ecstatic state is not peculiar to the Bible 
religions. It is common to all religions and it occurs when 
no religious significance attaches to it or can be claimed 
for it, as, for instance, when it is caused by disease. Shall 
we, therefore, conclude that it is unreliable, and, conse- 
quently, untrustworthy ? By no means. It is a clearly dif- 
ferentiated form of Bible prophecy and perfectly genuine, 
and takes its place with the other recognized forms of in- 
spired teachings. We need not go farther than to say that 
in its outward visible manifestations it bears a resemblance 
to the ecstatic state pathologically or artificially produced. 
It may be, for aught we know, entirely different in its na- 
ture since, if the claims of the Hebrew religion are true, 
and this we do not doubt, it was Divinely produced. 
Since, however, there is a close and striking external re- 
semblance between the true and the false, and the latter 
claims genuineness with as emphatic dogmatism as the 
former, we see the necessity of subjecting the phenomenon 
under consideration to reliable tests, and happily we are 
not at a loss to discover such criteria of judgment. It 
may be also observed that there is no a priori improbability 
of its genuineness. If it were true that the ecstatic state 
is precisely the same in every case, no matter how produced, 
which is a proposition we are not bound to admit, as was 
remarked in case of the dream, so we may say here, why 
should we deny to God the privilege of employing this 
method of communicating with his prophet whenever in 
his wisdom he might choose to do so? If this state can be 
superinduced by disease or by artificial stimulants, why 
not by the Spirit of God? Is not the objection raised 
against it really directed against the supernatural? Is 
it not more reasonable to apply rational and adequate 
tests and accept the conclusions thus reached, than to re- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 67 

ject this form of prophecy simply because of its external 
resemblances to the false? When this is done, we will find 
ourselves in company with the earnest, devout students of 
the Bible, who reverence and respect its claims after faith- 
ful study and careful investigation, and who give hearty 
assent to this form of prophecy. 

3. Enlightened spiritual discernment is a distinct class 
of prophecy which may properly be regarded as the highest 
product of the prophetic function. 

In this case the mind of the prophet was sup ernatur ally 
illuminated. He was miraculously gifted with wonderful 
powers of insight and foresight. He was enabled to see 
truths that are hidden to the unaided human intellect. He 
was a master among men by virtue of his marvelous power 
to discern truths of the highest order and to disclose those 
great secrets so necessary to man's w r ell-being, but which 
all acknowledge lie beyond the range of the acutest natural 
powers of the human mind. Such prophets seemed to live 
in a larger world than their fellows. Their intellectual 
horizon was vastly wider. They could see causal relations, 
discover tendencies and interpret events with unerring 
certainty under the inspiration of the Divine Spirit. They 
consequently felt more deeply, spoke more earnestly and 
acted with greater intenseness than any other class of men 
the world has known. 

In all ages there have been men who even in the enjoy- 
ment of their normal powers have been marvelously en- 
lightened, men of such extraordinary intellectual gifts that 
they have been able to accomplish that which to the ordi- 
nary mind seems almost miraculous, but yet their achieve- 
ments are entirely within the limits of the natural. They 
possessed simply phenomenal natural powers. The spir- 
itual illumination under discussion far transcends the most 
illustrious achievements of this class of men and can only 



y 



68 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

be explained by the fact that the Divine Spirit was with 
them and in them and gave them such a piercing vision 
that they could see what otherwise had been impossible, and 
declare that which the most brilliant genius had never been 
able to perceive. 

4. There is a fourth kind of prophecy which consists in 
uttering a message directly addressed to the prophet by 
God. 

It is not the declaration of something seen in a dream, 
or learned through a vision, or by spiritual illumination, 
but the announcement of a Divine message received in 
words. God speaks, the prophet hears and repeats the 
words, or angels deliver a message to the prophet in plain 
language. Examples of this form of prophecy are nu- 
merous and will occur to any one at all conversant with 
the sacred Scriptures. Here but less latitude is given to 
the prophet in delivering the message. His own person- 
ality and individuality count for less and his service is in 
a measure mechanical. True, a man of strong character 
under any circumstances can not be entirely suppressed. 
If he speak even the exact words of another, he still adds 
something of his own personality to it, in voice, manner, 
gesture, expression of countenance, posture of body or 
flash of the eye, but manifestly when a message is delivered 
word for word as received, there is far less opportunity for 
putting into it personal peculiarities. 

We rejoice that the prophetic messages have come to 
us just as they have. In the variety we see the wisdom of 
God. We want some things said to us just as God says 
them, and we are glad that much of the heavenly truth 
comes to us, partaking, in its verbal form, of the charming 
individuality of the messenger. 

The four forms of prophecy described seem to be clearly 
differentiated. All are genuine, valid, trustworthy, and 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 69 

are immeasurably valuable. The knowledge thus trans- 
mitted constitutes man's richest legacy. 

II. We Now Very Properly Come to the Consideration 
op the Criteria, Whereby the Divine Character 

of the Prophecy May Be Determined. 
Inasmuch as this seems to be a dual universe in which 
the good and bad are set over against each other, and are 
consequently in continual conflict as might be expected, 
we have an example of this inevitable conflict in the domain 
of prophecy. Since we have true and false science, true 
and false logic, true and false philosophy, true and false 
religion, why not true and false prophecy? If we have 
prophets of God, why not prophets of Satan? In the be- 
ginning God had no sooner spoken to man than Satan con- 
tradicted him, and all along down the line we find good 
opposed by evil, righteousness opposed by unrighteousness, 
and, consequently, the true prophets opposed by the false* 
The prophets of God had not only to face the infidelity 
of their own time, but they had to meet active opposition 
from men professing to exercise the prophetic gift. Jannes 
and Jambres withstood Moses to their own discomfiture. 
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Micah met with active opposition 
from false prophets, and during the days of the restoration 
false prophets practiced their deceptions for personal gain. 
In the New Testament period the same conflict w T ent on. 
Simon, the sorcerer, tried to purchase the miraculous gift 
of the Holy Spirit with money that he might prostitute it 
to selfish ends. 

Let us not be discouraged by this everlasting conflict. 
Were it not for this great warfare between good and evil 
there would be no such thing as virtue. By meeting and 
overcoming the wrong, strength of moral fiber is acquired. 
Thus God makes the wrath of man to praise him. Untried 



70 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

man may possess innocence, but not virtue. Virtue means 
courage, bravery, heroism, it is the result of battles boldly 
fought and victories won. 

There is another fact worthy of note. True prophecy 
ceased in the apostolic day when revelation became com- 
plete, but false prophecy continues even unto the present 
time. To-day there are those who claim to be receiving 
new revelations, and are deceiving and leading astray many 
by their false, pernicious teachings, but now as ever the 
false contradicts the true. The so-called revelations of the 
present day discredit the revelations of God's word and 
many of them discredit ordinary human intelligence. 

It will consequently be seen that we must recognize 
the fact that there may be false as well as true prophecy 
under any of the forms mentioned, and that it is our mani- 
fest duty to intelligently discriminate between the two by 
adequate and reliable tests. We will, therefore, submit 
the more important and manifest criteria that Biblical 
scholars agree in recognizing. Perhaps all will not agree 
that the canons we are about to submit are of equal value 
and some may omit certain of them altogether, but I feel 
confident that they will all be found to be valid and each 
valuable in its own measure and worthy of recognition. 

1. The prophet must speak in the name of Jehovah 
and in his name alone. 

His revelations must professedly come from the one 
true and living God. Should he speak in the name of 
other gods, or turn people away after other gods, he 
was to be condemned as false even though his predictions 
should come true, and capital punishment was the penalty 
for the offense (Deut. xiii. 1-5). This criterion must be 
self-evident. Since it is God's great purpose to cure the 
world of its idolatry manifestly the prophet who speaks in 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 71 

the name of another God to turn men after idols is the 
enemy of Jehovah. / 

2. The words of the prophet must harmonize with all 
Divine revelation. 

God can not contradict himself. He does not give to 
one prophet a revelation and to another a contradictory 
revelation on the same subject. One prophet may make a 
prediction concerning a nation at a given period and an- 
other may make a contrary prediction applicable at a dif- 
ferent period, but inasmuch as character and destiny are 
closely connected, it will be seen at once that here is no 
contradiction. The character of the nation having changed, 
the fate may change. 

3. The true prophet must rebuke the sins of the people 
with boldness and fidelity and inculcate the doctrines of 
Divine justice and retribution. 

He can never make a compromise with sin. The vo- 
taries of sin and injustice must be boldly condemned, no 
matter how respectable and powerful they may be, and that, 
too, though death should stare the prophet in the face for 
his utterance. God's instructions to Jeremiah (chap. i. 17- 
19) bring out this point very clearly. Other instances 
might be cited. 

4. The prophet himself must have indubitable evidence 
that his prophecies are Divine, so much so that he can speak 
with the utmost fearlessness. 

This does not mean that a false prophet can not put 
forth a false claim and hypocritically speak with ap- 
parent honesty, but it does mean that the true prophet 
knows by his own inner consciousness that God is speaking 
through him. The Holy Spirit carries with it its own cre- 
dentials which stamp the prophetic experience as genuine 
and leave no doubt on the mind of the recipient. Hence 
the prophets always spake with perfect confidence, and even 



72 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

with the utmost boldness. They used freely such expres- 
sions as "Thus saith the Lord," "I saw in a vision," "I 
heard the voice of the Lord," etc. No one can speak con- 
fidently who is beset with doubts. God never sent out a 
man with his message and left him in uncertainty. To 
have done so would have been to insure failure. God gave 
to his prophet the fullest possible assurance, which was 
his strong tower of defense. 

5. The general trend of the prophecy must be God- 
ward. 

This means that it must not only be spoken in God's 
name, but its influence must make for godliness. It must 
encourage holy living and tend to develop true godlike 
character. No impious or corrupt thing is ever spoken 
with God's approval, much less under his direction. This 
does not mean that the Divine communications are abso- 
lutely faultless at every period as measured by the perfect 
standard. God's revelations keep pace with human prog- 
ress. These are always above man, but never so far above 
as to be entirely out of his reach, otherwise the Divine 
purpose would be defeated. God in his wisdom and good- 
ness, by his instruction, leads man ever onward and upward 
toward himself, reaching the perfect model and the per- 
fect revelation in Christ Jesus, and in him the highest 
ideal of manhood will be at last attained. The prophecy 
at any point along the line tends Godward, and has a lifting 
power, and it never exerts a demoralizing influence. 

6. The life cf the prophet must be such as to lift him 
above the suspicion cf deception. 

The man who claims to speak God's message must live 
in close fellowship and communion with God, and such a 
life can not be successfully counterfeited, certainly not for 
any considerable length of time. The hypocrite will sooner 
or later be discovered. Furthermore, the lifting power of 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 73 

the truth, even though it be from God, is not entirely in- 
dependent of the one who utters it. The life of the mes- 
senger must be worthy of the message so far as the human 
can be worthy of the Divine. 

7. The prophecy mast he in perfect accord with truth 
and fact. 

In predictive prophecy the thing foretold must come 
to pass. If it does not do so, then w r e may rest assured 
that God has not spoken it. He who sees the end from 
the beginning, and in whose hands are the issues of life, 
both of the individual and the race, can read the future 
with as much freedom as he can see the past, and what 
he declares w 7 ill be w T e may rest assured will transpire. In 
Deut. xviii. 21, 22 we have this point clearly brought out. 
"And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the 
word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet 
speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, 
nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath 
not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously : 
thou shalt not be afraid of him. " True, in some cases 
the future event spoken of is made conditional, and we 
have examples in which the conditions were not named, but 
a study of the cases show r s the condition was clearly implied. 
The case of the Ninevites is exactly in point. Jonah de- 
cleared the doom of the city in forty days, but, owing to 
the true repentance of the people, the threatened overthrow 
did not take place. It w 7 as beyond question a conditional 
sentence, though not expressed. If the Ninevites had dis- 
regarded Jonah 's prophecy and had continued in their sins 
and still the threatened disaster had not come, Jonah would 
have been shown to be a false prophet. 

An example of fulfilled prophecy necessarily had great 
weight in establishing the Divine mission of the prophet. 



74 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

Such cases are numerous. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and 
others lived to see some of their predictions fulfilled. 

8. True prophecy is open and free from secrecy. It 
does not hide away in the dark or shun investigation. 

God's prophets came before the people in the clear 
light of day and boldly declared their messages. They 
did not peep and mutter or resort to mysterious rappings 
in darkened rooms, or to slight-of-hand performances, or 
to tricks of legerdemain. They did not utter amphibolous 
sentences, or practice divination or sorcery. These things 
constitute the sources of heathen prediction and of the so- 
called communication of modern spirit rappings. They all 
belong to the hidden things of darkness. If God ever 
used a heathen prophet or prophetess for the utterance of 
a truth, we may rest assured it was spoken in clear and 
unmistakable language, and in a perfectly open way. 

God is not ashamed of his word and his messages need 
no secrecy. 

9. The prophet must never pervert or withhold the 
Divine message for the sake of popularity, or of pleasing 
those in authority. 

Here was always a great temptation. To prophesy 
pleasant things meant the favor of kings and the plaudits 
of the people. The rulers and the people wanted to hear 
smooth things, and there were always false prophets who 
would supply the demand for the reward offered, but God's 
prophets must be men who could not be bribed by the 
money of the rich or the favor of the powerful. In I. 
Kings xxii. 13, 14 and 27, 28 we have an example of the 
fidelity of God's prophet who refused to prophesy favor- 
able things to his king, even though the prison stared him 
in the face. There were obsequious lying prophets that 
foretold pleasant things to King Ahab, but Micaiah could 
not be seduced by. flattery nor terrified by punishment, 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 75 

Jeremiah faced death when he uttered his judgments about 
to fall on his nation (Jer. xxvi. 8, 9). It has indeed been 
the fate of prophets to seal their testimony with their 
blood. 

10. The prophet must not promise blessings to the un- 
godly, without repentance. 

Jeremiah declares (chap. vi. 13, 14), "From the prophet 
even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have 
healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, 
saying, peace, peace ; when there is no peace. ' ' Also Chap, 
viii. 10, 11. The meaning is clear. False prophets had said 
pleasant things to the wicked, corrupt people without ex- 
acting repentance. They had said peace, peace when there 
was no such thing as peace while sin abounded, hence the 
condemnation of Jeremiah. We can see at once the right- 
eous necessity for this law. God's judgments are corrective 
in their purpose. Sin must have its penalty and hence the 
prophet that promised blessing without repentance was 
preaching a most demoralizing doctrine. 

11. The true prophet could not repress his message. 
He necessarily felt, woe is me if I speak not the God-given 
truth. 

Jeremiah forcibly expresses the intensity of the desire 
to speak (chap. xx. 8, 9), "Because the word of the Lord 
was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then 
I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any 
more in his name. But his word was in my heart as a 
burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with 
forbearing, and I could not stay." This feeling has ever 
been characteristic of the prophet of God. He acted under 
a mighty impulse. His soul seemed to be on fire with holy 
zeal. He must speak even at the risk of unpopularity and 
death itself. 



76 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

12. The true prophet never used his office for gain. To 
have done so would have subjected him to suspicion and 
would have shorn him of his power. 

Amos declared when asked to go into the land of Judah 
and eat bread and prophesy there (chap. vii. 14-17), "I 
was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son: but I was 
a herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the 
Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said 
unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. " The mean- 
ing of this is evident. Amos declared he did not belong 
to that class of prophets who plied their trade for gain. It 
was not a question of getting a livelihood. The Lord 
chose him when a shepherd and commissioned him to 
speak a message to Israel. He was not working under 
the employ of men, but acting under the call of God. 
Under the New Dispensation the same spirit prevailed. 
The apostles of Christ went not forth for the sake of gain. 
Paul worked with his hands for a livelihood, but embraced 
every opportunity to tell the story of the cross. 

13. In many cases power to work miracles stood in vin- 
dication of the prophetic gift. 

Moses, Elijah and Elisha are striking examples under 
the Old Dispensation and Christ and his apostles under 
the New. 

This criterion whenever present is conclusive. "We can 
not suppose that God would substantiate the claims of an 
impostor by granting to him miraculous power. If the 
individual claimed the prophetic gift, and was able to work 
miracle 3, the claim is fully substantiated, and it is further- 
more worthy of remark that the character of the subject- 
matter in all such cases is in perfect keeping with the 
claim. 

14. In % some cases one prophet whose claim was estab- 
lished bore testimony directly or indirectly to another. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. W 

There was doubtless gradation in rank. Those con- 
spicuous for long service, or for peculiarly eminent quali- 
fications, occupied high rank in the prophetic office, and 
their recognition of those less prominent placed upon such 
the seal of approval. A portion of Moses' spirit was given 
to the seventy elders, and they, no doubt, were recognized 
as genuine prophets. Elisha asked for and received a 
double portion of Elijah's spirit, and was recognized by 
him as his successor in the prophetic office (II. Kings 
ii. 9-12). 

15. True prophecy will harmonize with truth in every 
other realm. 

God in the Bible will not contradict God in nature. If 
ever there appears to be conflict, it is because we misinter- 
pret the message in one place or the other. God does not 
put love in the mother's breast and then tell her to throw 
his child into the fire. Truth in word will not contradict 
truth implanted in the constitution of the soul or in ma- 
terial nature. All truth is of God and will harmonize 
perfectly when properly understood. Some are very fear- 
ful that science will contradict revelation, but we need have 
no fears. Our views of revelation may sometimes be con- 
tradicted by science or scientific conclusions which clash 
with revelation, may afterward be seen to be false, but true 
revelation and true science will always be in perfect 
harmony. 

16. Prophecy in its character must show itself to be 
worthy of God. 

In subject-matter and manner of delivery it must har- 
monize with exalted and just views of God. Lofty con- 
ceptions of God must never be insulted by the communica- 
tions that claim to come from him. Prophecy must in the 
very nature of the case move on a high moral and in- 
tellectual plane. It must be worthy of God and not belittle 



78 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

the Divine author by descending to trivial and inconse- 
quential things. There is an important law of Hermeneu- 
tics to the effect that an exegesis must be worthy of the 
subject under consideration. It must not be small and 
trifling. On the same principle we may say that prophecy 
must honor God in its dignity and strength. It must be 
worthy of Him who is infinite in wisdom, goodness and 
power. 

These criteria serve to clearly separate the prophecy of 
the Bible from the false prophecy that has cursed the 
race from its beginning to the present time. The former 
has drawn man upward, the latter has led him downward. 
The former has satisfied the soul, the latter has left it 
hungry. The former commends itself to the intellect and 
moral sense the most enlightened, the latter has been an 
insult to judgment and reason. In the contemplation of 
the former we are led to exclaim with the great Psalmist 
of Israel : 

1 ' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : 

"The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the 
simple. 

"The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the 
heart: 

"The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening 
the eyes. 

"The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: 

"The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous al- 
together. 

"More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than 
much fine gold : 

"Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 

"Moreover by them is thy servant warned : and in keep- 
ing of them there is great reward.' ' 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 79 



LECTURE V. 

PROPHECY— ITS MARVELOUS VARIETY, PRIMARY SOURCE, 
STRIKING SYMBOLISM, ETHNIC RANGE AND 
TRANSCENDENT QUALITIES. 



Introduction. 

1. In our study thus far we have certainly been im- 
pressed with the wonderful dignity of the subject. 

In the prophets themselves we see by all odds the most 
remarkable body of men the world has produced, and in 
the subject-matter we find truth so comprehensive, so far- 
reaching, so practical that all other truth dwindles into 
insignificance in comparison. 

2. We must also have seen ere this the magnitude of 
the work that confronts him who would acquire even a 
moderate understanding of this wonderful theme. 

The manifest impossibility of attaining to anything* 
approaching an exhaustive knowledge of it must be ap- 
parent. At best, we will only be able to pick up a few 
bright jewels here and there, and from those we gather 
judge of the wealth and treasure awaiting us as we give to 
the study more of our time and talents. 

3. Another fact ought to appear to the thinking man. 
He must see at once that this field demands the best efforts 
of the most intellectual. 

There are depths here beyond the reach of the longest 
sounding lire. This does not mean that only those pos- 
sessing extraordinary powers may enter this field. On the 
contrary, even the most ordinary intellect will be richly 
repaid for all his pains and trouble, but it does mean that 



80 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

there is work here befitting the powers of the most gifted 
minds. 

The justice of these reflections will be still more ap- 
parent as we consider: 

I. The Wonderful Variety of Matter and Circum- 
stance Entering into and Surrounding 
Hebrew Prophecy. 

1. This variety appears at every angle of vision from 
which we view the subject. 

There is variety in the means of Divine communication: 

At least four different methods have been noted, each 
answering, no doubt, a definite end in the Divine economy 
and all showing forth the Divine wisdom. Apparently the 
most unsubstantial modes of mental activity have been 
lifted up and glorified and made to serve the most benefi- 
cent ends in God's gracious providence. 

There is variety in subject-matter: 

"We have inspired history — the historian having been 
Divinely assisted to gather up and record that which other- 
wise would have been lost, or enabled to recall that which 
otherwise would have been forgotten; we have Divinely 
given law, precepts, commands, penalties and promises; 
we have wisdom, literature, devotional sentiment, lamenta- 
tions, songs of joy, wailings of despair and paeans of vic- 
tory; we have exhortations, admonitions, warnings, threat- 
enings and instructions pertaining to the whole round of 
human duty. 

There is variety in literary form: 

We have the most elegant poetry and the sublimest 
prose; we have plain and unadorned statement and every 
kind of rhetorical figure. 

There is variety in the persons addressed: 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 81 

We have prophecies relating to individuals, prophecies 
relating to nations and prophecies relating to the race. 

There is variety in the symbolism employ ed : 

We have symbolic emblems, symbolic actions, symbolic 
individuals and symbolic history. 

There is great variety in the personality of the proph- 
ets: 

We have the rude, the cultured, the peasant, the king, 
the unlettered, the learned, the young, the old — in short, 
men of every condition and calling have exercised the 
prophetic gift. 

We have great variety in time: 

In its utterance it covers the period from the beginning 
of the race to the close of the apostolic age, and in its writ- 
ten form it is scattered over a period of sixteen hundred 
years or more. 

Truly, the variety God has given us in nature is paral- 
leled by the variety he has given us in the Bible, and this 
fact contributes in no small degree to the enjoyment we 
find in the study of his word. 

2. Another thing worthy of note is the. fact that amidst 
the almost endless variety there is a very real unity per- 
vading the whole. 

The Bible, although composed of sixty-six books, is es- 
sentially one book. Each writer wrote independently, and 
yet there is one great purpose running through all, one 
spirit, one general aim, one great center around which all 
range themselves, one common end to which all contribute. 
No book was ever characterized by a truer unity, and hence 
we must conclude that it has but one real author. He who 
lives through the centuries sees the end from the begin- 
ning, and so controls events that his great purpose will not 
fail of fulfillment. 



82 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

3. The great variety exhibited contributes to the adap- 
tability of prophecy to the people and the age for which it 
was intended. 

This fact is illustrated in subject-matter, literary form 
and manner of delivery. The primary mission of the 
prophet was, in a very peculiar sense, to his own age. He 
came first of all to his own people. This is especially 
true of the Old Testament prophets and to a great extent 
of the prophets of the New Dispensation. 

We should probably make a partial exception in the 
case of Christ, who, to a greater extent than any other, 
spoke for all peoples and all times, but even he had a work 
for his own day. He uttered truth primarily intended for 
those to whom he spoke. "With this exception, however, 
the principle holds good. Even the prophecies relating to 
the distant future were in some way connected with the 
people addressed by the prophet. Out of that present the 
future was to come, or the people were to be in some way 
influenced by the events foretold. In short, there was some 
point of contact. Sometimes the prophecy had a double 
significance, one literal and near at hand, one spiritual and 
far distant, and doubtless in many cases the prophet was 
not conscious of the full significance of his own language. 
He did not see the spiritual import and far-reaching mean- 
ing of his own words. His eye was primarily fixed on his 
own day and generation, and he considered himself the 
servant of his brethren. We consequently find, and it is 
not at all surprising, that Christ and his apostles put a 
content into Old Testament prophecy that the prophets 
themselves did not see, nor was it necessary that they 
should have done so. It were sufficient for each successive 
future to lay hold upon its own prophetic inheritance. 

This same enlarging and growing process in the devel- 
opment and application of truth has ever been going on 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 83 

and it is strikingly exemplified in the language of Christ. 
There is no truth so vital, so expansive, so adjustable to 
succeeding ages as the truth Christ uttered. The more 
we study it, the larger it becomes. Each generation has a 
larger revelation in one sense, not in the actual number 
of words, but in the growing content, that earnest study, 
new experiences and changing conditions reveal, and doubt- 
less this same thing will continue till the end of time. The 
last preacher will be able to bring forth something new as 
well as old out of the great treasure-house of truth that 
God has given us. In the meantime let us not attempt to 
reduce this vital expansive truth to stereotyped forms de- 
claring its exact dimensions. Let us not make a fixed 
authoritative creed, for to-morrow some one may see deeper, 
broader meanings than our creed allows. Let us not try 
to crowd infinite truth into finite measure and declare it 
shall never overflow it. Let each generation come to the 
fountain and dip its measure full, and if the next genera- 
tion shall come with larger measure and receive a larger 
portion, let us recognize the possibility and rejoice in it, 
for only thus will the thirst of the world continue to be 
satisfied. 

Let us, then, with earnest minds and honest hearts look 
into God's word, nor deny to any man this sacred privilege, 
and thus let us receive its life-giving truths, and with all 
let us await with yearning expectancy the larger vision of 
to-mor.row, which will surely come if we properly appro- 
priate the portion of to-day. 

But not only was the subject-matter of prophecy 
adapted to the people addressed, but the prophets them- 
selves and their manner of speech fit the time and condi- 
tions when the prophecies appeared. The symbolism used 
was characteristic of the people addressed. The rhetorical 
structure of the language employed harmonized with the 



84 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

modes of thought, habits of speech and customs of the 
time. Even the beautiful poetic form of the Old Testa- 
ment prophecies was in marked agreement with the literary 
spirit of the age in which they were written. 

With these, as we trust helpful reflections, we will next 
consider : 

II. The Original Fountain, or Primary Source of 

Prophecy. 

It may seem that this question has already been an- 
swered, as in truth it has, but it is our purpose, in speaking 
of it further, to place it in contrast with the sources of 
false prophecy, that the wide difference may be made mani- 
fest. 

1. The sources of heathen prediction were various, hut 
all of them ivere of low grade and were characterized by 
gross superstition. 

Necromancy was very common. Consulting the dead 
has always been practiced by idolatrous worshipers, and 
we have an example of it in the Spiritualists of the present 
day, who, dissatisfied with the revelation God has given, 
seek communications with departed spirits. Saul on one 
occasion, although a king over the chosen nation, Israel, to 
whom were committed the oracles of God, consulted the 
witch of Endor, giving as a reason that God had departed 
from him and answered him no more neither by prophets, 
nor by dreams, nor by Urim (I. Sam. xxviii.). Various 
kinds of magic arts were used by wizards and magicians 
and the whole performance was pitched on a very low 
plane. Isaiah, in chap. viii. 19-22, describes their disgust- 
ing methods of communication: " And when they shall say 
unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and 
unto wizards that peep and mutter: should not a people 
seek unto their God? Should they seek unto the dead for 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 85 

the living? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak 
not according to this word, it is because there is no dawn- 
ing for them. ' ' 

Divination was also practiced. Heathen prophets 
sought in natural objects information as to the future. 
The Latin poet Virgil describes the practice of seeking to 
read the future in the entrails of animals. Romulus and 
Remus decided the site of Rome by the flight of birds. 
The prophetesses at the heathen shrines foretold the future 
by the rustling of leaves. The movements of liquids in a 
vessel were also used as a means of divination. Joseph 
refers to the custom as recorded in Gen. xliv. 5: "Is not 
this it [i. e., the cup put into the mouth of the sack] in 
which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth ? ' ' 

Astrology was the science of determining the future 
and of learning the proper course to pursue in the affairs 
of life by means of celestial phenomena and the move- 
ments of the heavenly bodies. In Isa. xlvii. 13 reference 
is made to this custom. This superstition has also de- 
scended to our time. It is considered a favorable omen 
while the sun in its annual circuit is in the limits of a 
to be born under the influence of a certain star; that is, 
certain sign or constellation. 

Witchcraft has always been regarded as a source of 
superhuman knowledge by the ignorant and superstitious. 
The fires of Salem are too near to us to allow us to doubt 
the strength of this superstition. Closely connected with 
this was the practice of palmistry, which is even now gen- 
erally resorted to by the fortune-tellers of our day. 

Much more might be mentioned of similar character 
to the foregoing, but it all belongs to a type of prediction 
that can only flourish amidst gross ignorance and supersti- 
tion, or among people characterized by extreme fanaticism. 



8* HEBREW PROPHECY. 

2. It is a great satisfaction to know that the prophecy 
of the Bible rises infinitely above all of these forms of 
heathen prediction. 

It not only neglects to employ them, but it condemns 
their use in the strongest way. It regards them as sinful, 
and imposes the death penalty on any one who would pre- 
sume to practice them. Isaiah points out his contempt 
upon such things in the passage referred to above. 

It may be well to call attention to two ways in which 
the Hebrews were permitted to seek to learn the future by 
means of material objects. 

The sacred lot was resorted to not infrequently. It 
was often called into use in time of impending battle. It 
was used to detect Achan, who had taken of the spoils in 
disobedience to God (Josh. vii. 14-26) ; and also to de- 
termine the divisions of Canaan among the tribes (Josh. 
xiv. 19). The apostles of Christ cast lots for the successor 
of Judas. 

The Urim and Thummim were sacred stones worn by 
the high priest in a receptable in his priestly garment. In 
some way it gave him assurance that he would be Divinely 
guided in all questions submitted to him. Kings resorted 
to the high priest to receive information concerning the 
future by this means. The failure to receive Divine com- 
munications in this way, as well as in other ways, led King 
Saul to consult the witch of Endor as we have seen. 

In all cases, therefore, Jehovah is the source of true 
prophecy, and the great Author will not allow this wonder- 
ful function to be degraded by permitting it to descend to 
the low, vulgar plane of heathen prediction. In content, 
manner of impartation and manner of delivery it is worthy 
of its high origin and noble purpose. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 87 

III. The Symbolism of Hebrew Prophecy. 

1. The lowest form of symbol consisted of certain ma- 
terial emblems which were used sometimes in representing 
the message to the prophet and sometimes by the prophet 
in delivering the message to others. 

These material symbols are doubtless used to make 
the prediction appear very real and vivid. They served 
as a sort of material illustration. They represented to the 
eye that which the words conveyed to the mind. They were 
not used as magic charms whereby to read the future, but 
simply as visible representations of the supernatural mes- 
sage. The prophets were men susceptible to vivid impres- 
sions and they spoke under the influence of strong feeling. 
The tendency in such cases is to use vigorous forms of 
speech accompanied by striking gestures or forcible out- 
ward actions. A variety of objects was used as symbols. 
Ahijah laid hold on his new garment and rent it in twelve 
pieces, and told Jeroboam to take ten pieces, thus symboli- 
cally representing the prophecy he uttered that Jehovah 
would rend the kingdom out of Solomon's hands and give 
ten parts to Jeroboam (I. Kings xi. 31, 32). 

Ezekiel was instructed to take two sticks representing 
the divided kingdom and join them in his hand, thus in- 
dicating the reunion of the kingdom (Ezek. xxxvii. 15-22). 

To Jeremiah was represented the two great classes into 
which the people were divided under the symbolism of 
two baskets of figs, one good and the other very bad (Jer. 
xxiv.). He also predicts the evil about to come upon the 
nations through the vision of a boiling pot (Jer. i. 13). 

Zechariah sees numerous visions representing truth in 
symbolic form, as recorded in the first six chapters of his 
book. 

2. Rising from the material emblem, Hebrew prophecy 
used a higher form of symbol, consisting .of persons, na- 



88 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

tions, events and institutions, all of which had an actual 
existence as well as a typical import. 

This pictorial prophecy or type constitutes a very in- 
teresting and important field, which we reserve for a sep- 
arate lecture, merely alluding to it here since it naturally 
falls under the head of prophetic symbolism. 

It is sufficient to remark here that the prophets of both 
Old and New Testaments used the history of the Hebrew 
people — their illustrious leaders, their national institutions, 
their unique experiences — as a mirror reflecting the future 
of persons and people and especially as setting forth the 
coming Messianic kingdom in its more important aspects. 

3. The symbolism of Hebrew prophecy is not confined 
to actually existing or real things, such as material em- 
blems, persons, or historic events. The imagination is 
called into use to construct symbols which did not and in 
some cases can not exist in fact. 

Parable, which was so masterfully handled by Jesus 
Christ, is found in the Old Testament, although in a far 
less impressive form. Allegory and fable are also .used 
very skillfully. In Ps. lxxx. 8-13 we have a striking alle- 
gory representing Israel as a vine of gigantic proportions 
such as pass beyond the bounds of possibility: "Thou 
hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the 
heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, 
and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 
The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the 
boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out 
her boughs unto the sea [doubtless the Mediterranean] 
and her branches unto the river [the Euphrates, evidently]. 
Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all 
they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out 
of the woods doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field 
doth devour it," This is a very forcible allegory, although 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 89 

we see at a glance the literal impossibility of the symbol 
used. 

Micah represents the Messianic kingdom as a mountain 
established in the tops of mountains. Zion is metaphori- 
cally used for Jerusalem, and figuratively both are used 
for the church. 

Daniel describes Christ's kingdom as a little stone 
that rolled on till it became a great mountain, filling the 
earth. Isaiah uses the parable with striking effect in chap. 
v. 1-7, in which he predicts the judgments that would 
fall upon the nation: "Let me sing for my well beloved a 
song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well be- 
loved had a vineyard in a very fruitful hill : and he made 
a trench about it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and 
planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the 
midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress therein: and 
he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought 
forth wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem 
and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my 
vineyard. What could have been done more to my vine- 
yard, that I have not done in it ? wherefore, when I looked 
that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild 
grapes ? And now go to ; I will tell you what I will do to 
my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it 
shall be eaten up ; I will break down the fence thereof, and 
it shall be trodden down : and I will lay it waste ; it shall 
not be pruned nor hoed ; but there shall come up briers and 
thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no 
rain upon it." 

Ezekiel foretold the judgment to fall upon Zedekiah in 
metaphorical form (chap. xvii. 3-10) : "Thus saith the 
Lord God, A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, 
full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Leb- 
anon, and took the top of the cedar; he cropped off the 



90 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it into 
a land of traffic ; he set it in a city of merchants. He took 
also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful 
soil ; he placed it beside many waters ; he set it as a willow 
tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low 
stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots 
thereof were under him : so it became a vine, and brought 
forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. There was also 
another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: 
and, behold, this vine did bend its roots toward him, and 
shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its 
plantation, that he might water it. It was planted in a 
good soil by many waters, that it might bring forth 
branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a 
goodly vine. Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God : Shall it 
prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off 
the fruit thereof, that it may wither; that all its fresh 
spring leaves may wither; even without great power or 
much people to pluck it up by the roots thereof?" This 
metaphor is very bold and striking and presents the truth 
in very vivid form. 

The blessedness of Christ's kingdom is foretold in 
parable in verses 22-24: "Thus saith the Lord God, I will 
also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I 
will crop off from the topmost of his young twigs a tender 
one, and I will plant it upon an high mountain and emi- 
nent: in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant 
it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and 
be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of 
every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall 
they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that 
I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted 
the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made 



HEBREW PROPHECY. Si 

the dry tree to flourish : I the Lord have spoken and have 
done it." 

In Judg. ix. 7-17 we have prophecy uttered by Jotham 
in the form of a fable : ' c And when they told it to Jotham, 
he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted 
up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto 
me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them ; 
and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But 
the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, 
wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to 
wave to and fro over the trees ? And the trees said to the 
fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree 
said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good 
fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? And the 
trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, 
which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro 
over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the bramble, 
Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto 
the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then 
come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let 
fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of 
Lebanon. ' ' How these beautiful figures of speech have 
been exalted by the sacred use to which they have been put 
and with what exquisite skill it has been done. 

All of these different rhetorical figures are very taste- 
fully and strikingly used by the prophets. The form of 
Bible prophecy is wonderfully embellished by this exceed- 
ingly rich imaginative symbolism, and it gives to it a charm 
that is exceedingly fascinating. 

It will be noticed that the beauty and force of the sym- 
bolism is in no degree impaired by the fact that the symbol 
used is literally impossible. A vine whose branches reached 



92 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, although a 
literal impossibility, is a very forceful figure of speech. A 
mountain that would fill the whole earth is unthinkable as 
an actual thing, yet it serves the purpose of a very strong 
presentation of a great truth. It should also be kept in 
mind that while there is no limit to the imagination in the 
construction of these higher symbols, yet they all have a 
basis in things that are. They may be out of all propor- 
tion to real things, yet we are able to grasp their illustra- 
tive value because of our knowledge of the actual things 
of which they are the grotesque imaginary representations. 
When once we put the symbol and the thing symbolized 
together, we are struck with the beautiful agreement and 
are led to conclude that a more vivid and forcible presen- 
tation of the truth could not have been made. 

IV. The Ethnic Range of the Prophetic Function. 

1. The belief in prophecy is coextensive with the hu- 
man race. 

It is a necessary concomitant of religion, and the re- 
ligious instinct is native to the human soul. No races or 
tribes have ever been discovered that were entirely devoid 
of the religious propensity. Once it was thought such 
tribes had been found, but closer investigation showed the 
conclusion to have been premature. True, the religious 
ideas in many cases are very crude, even gross and sensual, 
but nevertheless they exist in some form. The idea of re- 
ligion presupposes a higher power than man. It neces- 
sarily demands a god. The god may be an idol, or it may 
be an object or force of nature deified, or it may be a mere 
fetish, but it represents to the votary the notion of the 
superhuman. This in turn demands some form of com- 
munication. Man everywhere will insist that his god can 
communicate his will in some way. All prayer carries with 






HEBREW PROPHECY. 93 

it the idea that the god can hear and answer, and so man 
gets the notion of a superhuman message. It is also ap- 
parent that this communication would naturally be ex- 
pected to come through that class of persons who are 
chosen by men or appointed by God to stand in such rela- 
tions to the Deity that they can receive and transmit his 
messages. Prophets, therefore, belong to all religions. 
The function seems to be a necessary outgrowth of the 
religious instinct. It appears as the channel through which 
man's hunger for superhuman instruction may be fed. It 
represents communion, either real or fictitious, between the 
Deity and man. Genuine prophecy (and, as we have be- 
fore remarked, there must be genuine prophecy if God 
exists) represents actual communications from God to man 
through man ; fictitious or false prophecy represents either 
pretended communications put forth by the prophet for 
selfish ends, or deceptions of demons who control the 
prophet for diabolical purposes, or delusions that have in 
some way gained mystery over the prophet who utters them 
unconscious of their spurious character. Hebrew prophecy 
stands out clear and distinct, constituting a class far re- 
moved from the prophecies of the other religions of the 
world. 

2. The fact of the world-wide presence of the prophetic 
idea and claim leads us to ask, Is Biblical prophecy the 
only genuine prophecy? Or, in other words, was all true 
prophecy committed to the keeping of the Hebrew race? 

In raising this question it is not our purpose to even 
intimate that Hebrew prophecy stands on the same plane 
as the so-called prophecies of idolatrous religions. In 
intrinsic quality, content and form it is lifted infinitely 
above all other professedly supernatural communications. 
Much less is it our purpose to even hint that all prophecy, 
including Biblical prophecy, is merely the outgrowth of a 



94 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

universal religious instinct. On the contrary, we are firm 
in the conviction that the criteria laid down will both con- 
demn the false prophecy that has ever been put forth in 
the name of the Deity and demonstrate the supernatural 
character of the Hebrew prophecy. But when all this is 
said, still the question remains, Has God ever spoken to 
man for any purpose whatsoever outside of the Bible? 
Were all other nations left entirely without religious truth 
during the time that God was revealing through the three 
great Bible religions his plans and purposes respecting 
the race, and completing a perfect revelation adequate for 
man's redemption, fullest development and final glorifi- 
cation? When this question is raised, some scent danger 
immediately and think that the enquiry savors of unbelief, 
but why should this be so? Does it destroy the Divine 
character of Hebrew prophecy to suppose that God may 
have, here and there, now and then, delivered a special 
message to other people for purposes justified by his in- 
finite wisdom? Such communications, instead of discredit- 
ing the revelations through his chosen nation, would in a 
measure prepare mankind for the reception of the perfect 
system of truth he was planning to give the world. Con- 
fucius foretold a great prophet to be born in the west. 
Zoroaster taught his disciples to expect the coming of a 
supernatural one, even saying he would be born of a virgin 
and that his advent would be heralded by a star. (For 
the foregoing statements see Professor Schaff in ' ' Apostolic 
Church," pages 183 and 184.) Is it unreasonable to sup- 
pose that God may have inspired a great man here and 
there to foretell the coming of Him for whom the ages 
were unconsciously waiting? Certain it is that when 
Christ appeared there was a general expectancy of some 
great coming one, and may not God in his wisdom have 
awakened this expectancy, in part at least, by allowing 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 95 

chosen leaders scattered among the nations to exercise the 
prophetic function? There are some who see in certain 
utterances of the Greek philosophers an evidence of a 
degree of inspiration. 

Socrates felt the need of a lawgiver sent from heaven 
who would be more than human, and that he expected 
such a one is shown by the advice to his people to forego 
the usual sacrifices till such a teacher should come. 
("Theol. Greek Poets/' by Tyler, page 44.) This may not 
be inspiration, but it certainly approaches very close to 
the borderland. 

3. It is perhaps not wise for us to go further in our 
claims, as to the restricted range of prophecy, than the 
Bible itself goes. 

It is certainly worthy of note that the sacred Scriptures 
do not claim to contain the only genuine prophecy. The 
Hebrew prophets were far more liberal in this regard than 
some of the present-day defenders of the faith. May we 
not weaken a good cause by making claims for it that it 
does not make for itself, and which, if substantiated, would 
not strengthen its already impregnable bulwarks? Not 
only do the Scriptures make no such exclusive claims as 
some make for them, but, on the contrary, they recognize 
that the prophetic function extended beyond the chosen 
people. There was, as we have seen prophecy before, the 
call of Abraham; that is, prior to the birth of the elect 
nation. In Gen. xiv. 18 we read of Melchizedek, who was 
a priest of the most high God to whom Abraham offered 
tithes, evidently recognizing in him a true worshiper and 
a true priest. In this man was centered doubtless the office 
of prophet as well as priest. 

Jethro, the priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses 
(Ex. xviii.), was a worshiper of Jehovah, and no doubt 
exercised the prophetic function, since at that time the 



96 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

functions had not been differentiated. In Numbers 
(chaps, xxiii. and xxiv.) Balaam is recognized as a 
prophet. True, he would fain have cursed Israel at the 
desire of another, but was compelled to prophesy good 
by the directing and overruling power of God. 

It would seem, therefore, to be clear that while God 
did select one nation and made it the receptacle of special 
Divine truth, yet other nations were not left entirely 
without communications from the heavenly Father. 
While the elect nation was gradually receiving the com- 
plete and perfect revelation intended as the common 
inheritance of the race, other nations were being in some 
measure fitted for its reception by such Divine messages 
as God in his wisdom chose to reveal, and especially by 
predictions concerning the coming Messiah, which caused 
him to become the desire of all peoples. 

4. It is furthermore worthy of remark that all the 
great historic religions as they are studied reveal some 
elements of truth. 

This truth is mixed with a vast amount of error, but 
who shall say these religions have no Divine element in 
them? Each has a portion of truth, larger in some than 
in others, while Christianity has the complete revelation. 
It is the embodiment of every ethical principle. It has 
the good of all, the evil of none. 

Christ is Divine. Is there, therefore, no good in any 
man? Can there be no Divinity in any other? Surely 
we may not so conclude. He has perfect Divinity. He 
was the only begotten Son of God. He was God manifest 
in the flesh. Others may be partakers of the Divine 
nature. So with the Bible. It is the perfect rerelation. 
God may have given some truth to others. 

Does the admission of this make against Christianity? 
Nay, will it not be to its advantage? The small measure 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 97 

of truth left in the world will in a degree prepare the 
world for Christianity. Every truth these religions con- 
tain furnishes a kind of common ground on which to 
stand to discuss the question of superiority. Every truth 
of this kind affords a sort of recognized standard for the 
measurement of other truth. Every truth retained 
among the nations serves as a kind of salt. It prepares 
the world for the higher and better revelation. 

5. Inasmuch as Bible prophecy magnanimously con- 
cedes the prophetic gift to other nations than the one 
chosen people, this truth should be recognized and not 
resisted. 

It claims Divine origin and concedes the same thing 
<to some other prophecy. It is content to abide by the 
rigid tests laid down and rest its claims on its conformity 
to these tests. 

This does not mean that we must accept the claims of 
all religions. It does not mean that all are equally good. 
It does not mean that there is more than one true Divine 
religion. It simply means that some small measure of 
truth has been given to the world through other channels 
Hian the chosen nation as a necessary factor in the general 
preparation for the universal kingdom that is finally to 
extend "from the river to the ends of the earth.' 9 In 
that glad day the superstition and error that blight and 
curse our common humanity will be dispelled by the 
brightness of his coming, and "the knowledge of God 
shall cover the world as the waters cover the sea." 

V. The Transcendent Qualities of Bible Prophecy. 

1. By transcendent quality is meant that supreme 

excellence that lifts it to the highest place amidst all the 

truth that has become the inheritance of man: nay, more, 

the power to pass beyond that which is accomplished at 



98 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

any given time and set before man ever nobler and ever 
enlarging ideals toward which he may continually strug- 
gle, but to which he can never actually attain. 

This is a distinct quality of Bible prophecy. It 
marks it as a peculiar product unapproached and unap- 
proachable by anything purely human. Nothing that 
man has ever written can forever keep in advance of the 
oncoming procession. Some great thinkers utter truth 
far in advance of their age, but finally men come up to 
and pass beyond it. The best books take higher and 
higher places on the shelves of the library until at last 
they are out of reach and are seldom or never referred toi 
The world has passed beyond them. The ideals set forth 
have been attained. Not so with Bible prophecy. Its 
ideals are in advance of each succeeding generation. It 
has a constantly enlarging and ever remaining ideal. 
This superlative attribute that abides amidst ever chang- 
ing circumstances and conditions constitutes the crowning 
glory of prophecy. It consists not in rigid, fixed forms, 
however perfect; not in measurable quantities or quali- 
ties. In that case it would sometimes be reached, but it 
is a living model expansive and ever transcendent, and 
as our ideas of infinite perfection grow, still occupying 
the supreme place in our thoughts. It is never so far in 
advance of any given age as to lose its hold upon it, and 
it is never so nearly on the level of the people as to lose 
its lifting power. Herein lies the most difficult task of 
the reformer. He is apt to set up ideals so far above his 
time that they are beyond the intellectual and moral 
grasp of the people and consequently exert no power. 
In that case the prophet wears out his life like a caged 
eagle beating its wings against immovable barriers and 
dying at last dispirited and disappointed. On the other 
hand, he may be so little removed from the common plane 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 99 

of the people that his influence is lost in the great, 
seething mass, exerting no appreciable power. In Bible 
prophecy the happy medium is strikingly exemplified. 
In its conceptions and models it is always vastly above 
the people addressed, but yet near enough to retain its 
hold upon them and it has the pow r er to move before 
humanity in its onward and upward sweep and ever 
present ideals that seem to each succeeding age to be 
perfect. Where, in all the literature penned by man, 
can anything like it be found? If this transcendent 
quality is human in origin, then were it impossible to con- 
ceive of the Divine. Herein we see the rich fruit that 
grows on the trees of heavenly planting. Herein we 
discern how infinitely superior the revelations of the 
Bible are to the revelations of nature, or to the truth 
discoverable by the unaicled human mind. 

2. This ever enlarging model is manifest in all forms 
of prophetic literature. 

Beginning with inspired history, that form of pro- 
phetic writing that, it may be supposed, requires the least 
degree of inspiration, we nevertheless find the factor 
referred to strikingly exemplified Bible history, be it 
observed first of all, is the key to all history. It stands 
in such relations to the history of the world that it can 
not be ignored by one who seeks an intelligent under- 
standing of the philosophy of history. The world is 
either being prepared for the great events of Bible 
history, or is being moulded and shaped by those events. 
Put the Bible story in its proper historic setting, and all 
human history groups itself in an orderly way around 
it. We see we have the key that solves the otherwise 
meaningless riddle. Drag Bible history out of its proper 
place, and universal history becomes chaos and confusion. 



100 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

Had Bible history been left out of the account, our great 
and beloved Lowell would never have sung: 

u Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne, 
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown, 
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own." 

But not only does Bible history occupy the central 
place in universal history, but Old Testament history has 
an importance far transcending that of its merely literal 
facts. The incidents recorded constitute a mirror reflect- 
ing great spiritual realities to be wrought out in the on- 
coming kingdom for which God was preparing the world 
an5 which would be set up in the fullness of time. Many 
of its leading characters give pictures of some feature of 
the life and work of the great Divine person who would 
come as the Saviour of the race. The exodus of the 
Hebrew people, their wilderness march, their worship, 
their passage over Jordan and occupancy of the Promised 
Land set forth corresponding spiritual realities pertain- 
ing to the church of God. The likeness of Hebrew history 
to the spiritual verities of the New Institution is most 
striking, and this fact lifts it at once to the supreme 
place in the history of the world. In its legal enactments 
the same superlative quality is seen. The Decalogue as 
a code of morals was adapted to the nation to whom it 
was originally given, and yet it stands as a model of 
law for all ages. Jesus, the profoundest lawgiver the 
world has known, showed how great the Decalogue was 
by descending to its deeper spiritual meanings and giv- 
ing it such comprehensive construction as clearly indi- 
cated its fitness for all peoples and all times. As in- 
terpreted by him it is the "ne plus ultra' ' of moral law, 
and consequently its great moral principles have all been 
incorporated in laws governing the spiritual Israel. The 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 101 

only commandment of the ten that was positive in char- 
acter referred to the keeping of the Sabbath day, and 
doubtless this has a moral significance; but while it was 
not carried over into the New Dispensation by positive 
precept, yet its spirit was retained and greatly broadened 
by the observance of the Lord's Day based on the example 
of the apostles. 

This same transcendent quality is seen in the de- 
votional literature of the Hebrew people. The sentiments 
of joy, sorrow, gratitude, thankfulness and adoration not 
only express the feelings of those who uttered them, but 
they strike a responsive chord in the heart of the true 
worshiper in every age. They are capable of being lifted 
up to the highest spiritual meanings. The song-book of 
the Jewish church has become the song-book of the church 
universal and bids fair to remain such till the end of 
time. This wonderful characteristic also finds forceful 
illustration in the wisdom literature of the Old Testa- 
ment. A philosophy produced in such an early age and 
under such conditions might well have perished long ere 
this, but instead it holds its place to-day as an up-to-date 
text-book on ethics. The principles laid down and the 
ideals set forth win the admiration and command the ap- 
proval of the most intellectual and spiritual souls. The 
ethical value of this literature grows as humanity ad- 
vances in its ever upward course. Where can the expla- 
nation of this wonderful fact be found? Can its parallel 
be produced in all the literature of the world combined? 
No man will claim as much. There is only one answer: 
"God spake unto the fathers by the prophets." 

3. The transcendent nature of Bible prophecy is no- 
where more strikingly manifest than in the great leading 
doctrines set forth. 



102 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

Monotheism alone, both as an intellectual conception 
and in its practical results, commends itself to the most 
enlightened reason. Polytheism and Pantheism belong 
to savage, barbarous and at most partially civilized 
peoples. If an exception seems to appear in the highest 
forms of Roman and Grecian civilization, be it observed 
that skepticism concerning the gods was practically uni- 
versal among the more enlightened classes in these 
nations. In other words, general intelligence outgrew 
the idolatry of the day. Monotheism is the only con- 
ception of Deity that flourishes amidst enlightenment, 
and the most casual observation shows that this doctrine 
not only lives as knowledge advances, but is responsible 
for the highest forms of civilization the world has known. 
But how does it happen the doctrine of "One True and 
Living God" is not found outside of the Bible? Does 
nature teach it? Such has not been the experience of 
mankind. Rather in its diverse and apparently con- 
flicting phenomena it seems to have taught the doctrine 
of polytheism, because in the absence of the true concep- 
tion it were easier to explain the apparently adverse 
manifestations of nature by supposing a multiplicity of 
hostile gods. Furthermore, if this idea was born of the 
human brain, why has it not appeared where the Bible 
has not gone? Be it also observed that those who have 
grasped the notion feel that it is superhuman. They 
know that its dimensions are too large for the human 
soul. At most it can only be dimly laid hold upon as it 
is presented in anthropomorphic forms, and as man 
expands through fellowship with the one true God he 
comes into possession of a continually advancing ideal of 
Him. After an upward march through all the centuries 
our God is still infinitely above us. He has met the desire 
of his people in every age and will continue to do so 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 103 

till the end of time. The human mind can not compre- 
hend him, but it can accept him; it can not create him, 
but it can love him. A personal God omnipotent, om- 
niscient, omnipresent, eternal, infinite in his attributes 
of justice, love and mercy is not revealed by the human 
soul, but revealed to the human soul by Jehovah himself 
in his dealings with his chosen people and especially as 
he moves on the plane of our humanity as the 
"Emanuel." 

The doctrine concerning man set forth in the Scrip- 
tures is supremely exalted. It begins at the highest point 
with Jehovah. Man is the child of the King. Heaven- 
born man, divinely created being, the son of the Infinite. 
No higher origin is conceivable, and he is thereby placed 
under important obligations to honor his Divine Father. 
The race descended from one pair and is therefore a unit. 
At once are swept away the foundations of caste and 
class, and the brotherhood of man based on the father- 
hood of God becomes a real, true, vital doctrine worthy of 
the heaven from whence it came. The potential path of 
man is an orbit, the initial point being in heaven, thence 
moving downward through an earthly segment and 
sweeping upward at last to the eternal throne of God. 
From heaven to heaven is man's possible history and not 
from " earth to earth," as some would have us believe. 
In harmony with this are his conscious powers : His mind 
may think the thoughts of God, his heart may manifest the 
love of God, his hands may do the works of God. If man 
fails in the accomplishment of a worthy work and in 
reaching a noble destiny, surely Bible prophecy is Hot to 
blame. Its conceptions of man are transcendently exalted. 
Compare this grand ideal with the conceptions born in 
human brains: Man the creature of nothing, the lineal 
descendant of a " primordial form." Think of the genius 



104 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

of a Milton, the philanthropy of a Howard, the patriotism 
of a Washington, the undying love of a mother, being 
wrapped up potentially in the worm that crawls under 
your feet. Tell me if you can that these two ideas, as far 
separated as earth and heaven, originated in the same 
brain. 

The doctrine of sin illustrates the same truth. Its 
baleful', destructive character is everywhere shown. In 
its very introduction into the world its diabolical origin 
and damnable effects are made manifest. Thence on- 
ward in all of its hideous development and appalling 
results its destructive character is revealed. Light views 
of sin are nowhere taken ; excuses are never offered. The 
Bible coincides with human history in declaring that 
"the wages of sin is death." "God cannot look upon it 
with the least degree of allowance. " His judgments 
upon it are swift and sure. That the soul that sinneth 
shall die is everywhere taught, save only as the sentence 
is remitted through the atoning blood of the world's 
great sacrifice. 

The fact of redemption also stands out in all of its 
Divine fullness. While recognizing the awful guilt of 
sin, it offers a remedy; while emphasizing the equity of 
its punishment, it offers a ground of pardon "whereby 
God can be just and the justifier of him that believes." 
Instead of promoting sin by offering escape from its 
consequences, its conditions are such as to promote 
righteousness and holy living. The redemption offered 
is complete and perfect. Paul gives a comprehensive sum- 
mary in the phrase "body, soul and spirit," which are 
embraced in the scope of the salvation provided. 

This idea of redemption so fully promulgated by 
Christ could never have originated in finite mind. Such 
conceptions, such thoughts, are not earth-born. That 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 105 

which transcends the utmost powers of the human mind 
to grasp could not originate with man. It stands grandly 
unique and peculiar, the product of the Infinite. 

We are not dismayed because the religion disclosed in 
these wondrous prophetic writings is not perfect in its 
human aspects. The Divine ideal is there, though im- 
perfectly realized, but the stream is flowing onward, widen- 
ing and deepening until at last, in Christ Jesus to which it 
all points, it will bear upon its bosom a redeemed world 
and land them safely on the eternal shore. This is the 
beatific vision of Israel's prophets. Thus through inspira- 
tion the Hebrew bards strike their melodious harps and 
join the angels in the soul-thrilling song, "Hallelujah, the 
Lord God omnipotent reigneth ; the kingdoms of the world 
have become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ." 

The Holy Spirit as an indwelling guest in the heart of 
the believer is promised as the crowning blessing of the 
New Institution. Thereby the human is married to the 
Divine, man is made partaker of the Divine nature. This 
gift was something entirely new and peculiar to the 
spiritual kingdom established by Jesus Christ. It was 
something wholly different from the miraculous gifts con- 
veyed through the Spirit of God as set forth in both the 
Old and New Testaments. This point has already been 
alluded to (page 35), but its importance is such as to 
w r arrant additional mention. It w r as a new spiritual pres- 
ence that was to abide with the individual and constitute 
him a new creature. It consummated the Divine plan in 
the creation, toward the accomplishment of which God had 
ever been moving, and to which he had been pointing in 
word and symbol through the ages. No such conception 
as this did or can originate in the human mind. It is too 
great for our finite powers to grasp, much less to create. 
Its character stamps it as Divine. 



106 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

Individual character is set forth in the prophetic writ- 
ings in aspects truly wonderful. Its ideals are so lofty 
as almost to stagger and discourage us and yet so noble 
and attractive as to lure us onward to their attainment. 
True riches consist not in material possessions. True 
greatness consists not in the accidents of wealth, wisdom 
or power. Character is the only real possession, it is the 
only abiding quantity. What a man is, and not what 
a man has, establishes his title to everlasting peace and 
joy. It should be observed, moreover, that this true wealth 
is never an absolute and fixed quality. It is constantly 
accumulating inheritance. The stopping-point of to-day 
is but the beginning place of to-morrow, and each man can 
say with the great apostle, ' ' I count not myself yet to have 
apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting the things 
which are behind, and stretching forward to the things 
which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the 
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil, 
iii. 13-15). The prize consists in coming to "a full-grown 
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of 
Christ' ' (Eph. iv. 13). Alas for us if the attainment of 
the lofty ideal of character were demanded now or even 
soon! If only we are moving upward, let us rejoice in 
hope and say with the spiritual John, "Now are we the 
children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what 
we shall be. We know that if he shall be manifested, we 
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (I. John 
iii. 2). 

The doctrine of practical duty as revealed in the Scrip- 
tures is certainly worthy to be written in the category of 
the foregoing. There is no departure from the lofty 
standard, there is no letting down of the noble ideal. 
Human duty : how comprehensive in sweep — touching self, 
fellow-man and God; how matchless in detail — covering 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 1C7 

the whole round of personal, social, political obligations; 
how noble in conception — eschewing all selfishness and 
making truest greatness consist of fullest service. The 
conceptions of practical duty, if realized, would transform 
earth into a paradise, and in proportion as they are real- 
ized are the woes of men banished, the w r rongs of men 
righted and the burdens of men lightened. In short, the 
Divine standard of human duty realized would 

"Make our earth an Eden, 
Like the heaven above. ' ' 

The doctrine of immortality must not be overlooked. 
Human destiny is a question that ever has and ever will 
excite the interest of man. "If a man die, will he live 
again V is a question that demands an answer, if the 
anxiety of the soul is ever to be quieted. Prophecy gives 
us the only definite answer, and here the spirit speaks in 
no uncertain sound. Men shall live again; live eternally, 
live blissfully. "Blessed are they that wash their robes, 
that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, 
and may enter in by the gates into the city. Without are 
the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the 
murderers, and the idolators, and every one that loveth 
and maketh a lie" (Rev. xxii. 14, 15). A future shall be 
man's in which "the wicked cease from troubling, and the 
weary are at rest." A future without fear, without sor- 
row, without darkness, for "there shall be no night there." 
Such is the state of transcendent blessedness to which 
man is heir on the simple condition of acceptance and 
necessary preparation. How beautifully harmonious is 
the closing message (Rev. xxii. 16, 17) : "I Jesus have 
sent my angel to testify unto you these things for the 
churches. . . . And the Spirit and the bride say, 
Come. And he that is athirst, let him come. He that 
will, let him take the water of life freely." 



108 HEBREW PROPHECY. 



LECTURE VI. 

PROPHECY IN TYPE:— THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 
TYPE IDEA, KINDS OF TYPES, ANALOGY 
BETWEEN TYPES IN NATURE AND 
TYPES IN THE BIBLE. 



Introduction. 

1. Human reason not only calls for a revelation from 
God, but it demands that the revelation be clear and in- 
telligible. 

Its meaning must be evident. It must not be equiv- 
ocal or obscure, otherwise the human soul would feel 
itself defrauded by the one to whom it instinctively looks 
for instruction. It must also magnify the Divine intelli- 
gence and wisdom, or forfeit the respect of the creature 
addressed. Any communication professing to be Divine 
that insults ordinary intelligence belies its own claim. 
Perhaps it may be well at this point to throw out a word 
of caution. Clearness of revelation does not mean that 
there are no mysteries. There is more or less of mystery 
in everything we see, even in this finite, material world. 
Many of the processes of nature are beyond man's com- 
prehension. In fact, our boasted science is largely the 
classification and naming of things not understood in their 
deeper aspects. Every individual finds within himself 
mysteries he can not fathom. The subtle connection 
between mind and matter has never been discovered. The 
unsolved problems are vastly more numerous than the 
matters that we know and clearly comprehend. If this 
finite world is so full of mystery, much more might we 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 100 

expect to find it when we approach the infinite and eternal 
verities. Hence it is not surprising that the finite is ever 
losing itself in the infinite, the human in the Divine. 
This reveals to us at once a realm for the exercise of faith. 
After God has done all that can be done to give his finite 
creatures some comprehension of infinite truth, there is 
much that in the very nature of the case we can not under- 
stand. We must accept it on faith, trusting that what is 
now dark will sometime be made clear. These considera- 
tions lead us to unite with the great apostle to the Gentiles 
in saying, "Now we see in a mirror darkly, but then face 
to face. Now I know in part; but then shall I know even 
as also I have been known." 

2. God answers tMs demand for a clear revelation by 
a threefold method of teaching. 

First of all by word: This form of communication 
gives to us verbal prophecy which is abundant and clear. 
Plain statement and pictorial language are freely used 
as we have seen. 

Second y by example accompanying the word: The men 
of God whose lives are given us in the Scriptures of the 
Old and New Testaments exemplify and enforce the verbal 
revelation in a most powerful way. The highest example 
of this form of teaching is given us in the matchless life 
of our Saviour, of whom it was said, "His life was the 
light of men." 

Third, by pictorial incident called types: These serve 
a very important purpose and they afford us a splendid 
illustration of the infinite skill and matchless resources 
of our heavenly Father in the instruction of his children. 






110 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

1. In Considering this Interesting Variety op 
Prophecy, the Significance of the Type Idea Should 
Be Clearly Apprehended. 

This condition is essential to a profitable study of the 
subject. Let us try to get a clear conception of what is 
meant by type. 

1. Etymologically considered, the word type, Greek 
"tupos," means a blow, also a mark or impression made 
by a blow. 

It is necessary that the outline or shape of the instru- 
ment used in making the blow be clearly revealed. A 
track in the snow or in the soft, yielding earth would be 
a good example. The verb form "tupoo" means to make 
•an impression, and the strengthened form typto means 
to strike or smite. This brings out clearly the idea. A 
type, therefore, is an impression that fits, and thus reveals, 
the thing that made it. It may also mean the thing by 
which the impression is made, as, for instance, the type 
used by the printer, but in either case there is the idea of 
agreement or correspondence. The printed character corre- 
sponds to the type that made it and vice versa, and this ex- 
act correspondence is an essential underlying condition in 
all kinds of types. When we say that a certain action is 
typical of a certain individual, we mean that it is in agree- 
ment with his habits of character. When we speak of typi- 
cal vegetable or animal forms, we mean that they possess in 
a very complete way the general physical characteristics, 
properties and forms of the classes to which they belong. 

2. The types in the Bible possess one important char- 
acteristic that must be borne in mind: they are prophetic. 

Things in the Old Testament prefigure things in the 
New. It might be supposed from the etymological mean- 
ing of the word that types are historic rather than pro- 
phetic, that they point backward rather than forward, 



HEBREW PROPHECY. Ill 

since the thing that makes the impression must exist before 
the impression is made, but this is never the case in Bibli- 
cal types. The impression looks forward to something to 
come to which it closely corresponds. The impression 
precedes the thing that it shows forth and consequently 
it must be the result of Divine superintendence. God 
alone could shape events and phenomena so as to prefigure 
the great spiritual verities to which he was bringing the 
world. 

It will be seen, therefore, that the prophetic character 
of Bible types gives to them a profound interest and 
invests them with peculiar value. By their nature and 
purpose they are lifted to the supreme place of import- 
ance. 

3. The significance of Bible types is further shown by 
the transcendent importance of the great antitype. 

The kingdom of heaven, which, according to the Divine 
purpose, was to be established in the fullness of time and 
through which man 's highest destiny would be wrought out, 
was the great objective reality, to which the types pointed 
as finger-boards along the line of the centuries. Its lead- 
ing features were prefigured in the achievements of indi- 
viduals divinely chosen for the purpose, in great epochal 
events and in the history of the elect nation. 

God has gone to great pains to reveal to our under- 
standing this kingdom in the most minute and particular 
way, and no unimportant part of this revelation consists 
of the elaborate system of types that he has prepared. 

With these fundamental considerations before us, we 
are naturally led to consider next: 



112 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

II. The Different Kinds of Old Testament Types. 

1. There are two separate and clearly distinguished 
kinds of types presented for our consideration — natural and 
artificial. 

Natural types consist of persons and events ; the former 
as they, in the discharge of certain duties and functions, 
bear manifest and clearly foreordained resemblances to 
corresponding functions of the great coming King, who was 
to appear in the fullness of time, and for whose coming 
these typical likenesses constituted a part of the prepara- 
tion ; the latter, as they, associated with and constituting a 
part of the history of the time to which they belong, ex- 
hibit aspects and relations that bear striking similarity to, 
and are designed to prefigure, the corresponding aspects 
of the coming spiritual kingdom. As examples of typical 
persons we have: 

Adam as the head of the natural race, typifying Christ 
as the head of the spiritual family. 

Isaac, whose conception was a miracle, thus typifying 
the miraculous conception of Christ. 

Moses, who led his nation from Egyptian bondage, show- 
ing forth the great emancipator leading the world from the 
Egypt of sin to the life and liberty of the children of God. 
Aaron, offering up sacrifices for the sins of his people, 
typifying Christ in making the great sin-offering by the 
giving of himself. 

David, in his conflict with the hostile nations, typifying 
Christ in his conflict with the powers that oppose his king- 
dom of righteousness. 

Solomon, in his reign of peace, typifying Christ as 
Prince of Peace when the conflict is won. 

Jonah, who was delivered alive after being three days 
and three nights in the bowels of the whale, thus typifying 
the burial and resurrection of Christ. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 113 

Melchisedec, in his priestly office, typifying the priest- 
hood of Christ. 

Examples of typical events are seen in Abraham offer- 
ing Isaac, thus prefiguring the offering up of Christ as a 
sacrifice for sin; the passage of the Israelites through the 
Red Sea, typical of the deliverance of the soul from bond- 
age ; the feeding of the Israelites on manna, typical of the 
spiritual bread sent down from heaven; the wilderness 
march and the passage over Jordan, typical of the journey 
of the church through the wilderness of sin and its final 
passage over the Jordan of death into the eternal rest. 
After the establishment of the nation in the promised land 
the temple w r as erected, which was a perpetuation of the 
tabernacle in a more elaborate and permanent form, and 
consequently it had the same typical significance, and it 
may also be remarked that the great national capital, Jeru- 
salem, was used as a type of the heavenly Jerusalem, the 
eternal home of the soul. 

Artificial types consist of things other than historic 
events arranged for the express purpose of representing 
various features of the Church of Christ. These things were 
Divinely planned with prophetic purpose and were purely 
artificial. The tabernacle is a conspicuous example of such 
types. The outer court represented the world. The holy 
place and the most holy place typified the church and 
heaven. The brazen altar, the laver, the table of shew 
bread, the altar of incense and the mercy-seat typified, 
respectively, the sacrifice of Christ, Christian baptism, the 
Lord's Supper, prayer and the mercy-seat in heaven where 
pardon actually takes place. When it is said that artificial 
types have a prophetic meaning, it is not meant that they 
served no other purpose. On the contrary, they had a 
present design that was very important. The tabernacle, 
with its furniture and service, was the soul and center 



114 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

of the worship of the nation. Thus a double purpose was 
served, one immediate and having direct bearing upon the 
elect people, and one prophetic, pointing to that for which 
the whole national history was in a general way a prepara- 
tion. 

The resemblances between the types and the great 
antitype are so many and so striking as to preclude the 
possibility of coincidence or accident. There is only one 
reasonable explanation, and that is that God, who foresaw 
and designed the kingdom of grace and glory, was the 
author of the types that foreshadowed it. 

2. Enough has been said to show that types present a 
wonderful variety. 

The diversity shown serves as another illustration of 
the marvelous variety that characterizes the divine work- 
manship. Persons, nations, historic incidents, single acts, 
phases of character, forms of worship, buildings, institu- 
tions are all called into use. This great variety is illus- 
trated in the types of the printer. Each letter has its. 
place, and when combined with others has value, but of 
itself is of little importance. One or two letters can not 
spell out the thought of the author, but many letters com- 
bined can do so. In like manner no single Bible type 
can give an exhaustive idea of the Messiah, or of the 
kingdom of God. No human life can represent Christ in 
more than a few aspects at most. No single historic event 
can do more than to represent the church of Christ in a 
few phases. 

3. At this point certain necessary ideas take rise. 

(1) Only certain points in each type are typical. 
There is much that goes to make up the historic narrative 
or artificial incident that has no resemblance to anything 
future. Its purpose is immediate. We do well to discover 
the points of typical import and see their beautiful signifi- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 115 

cance, but to try to press into service every minor detail of 
the type is to 3o violence to this impressive form of proph- 
ecy and render it worse than useless. 

(2) The true value of the type consists in revealing 
to us the antitype in a fuller and more impressive way than 
would otherwise be possible. They are also of special 
evidential value. Thus it appears that they are means to 
an end and not ends in themselves. The present purpose 
is at most a fraction of their real utility. It is this fact 
that invests much of the Old Testament history with pecu- 
liar interest. The Jewish dispensation possesses this double 
value in a very peculiar sense. The history of Israel was 
very real, but it was also prophetic. 

(3) Doubtless those engaged in working out the types 
did not understand their prophetic significance. It was 
not necessary that they should do so. They performed 
their part in their own present in a very earnest way, and 
the typical meanings were reserved for those to discover 
who should live when the great antitype would appear, 
which would thus be confirmed and made clear and the 
meaning of the type be made manifest. This leads us 
to enquire concerning : 

III. The Purpose Served by Types. 

1. The first purpose may be embraced in the one word 
"instruction." 

We may regard it as an effort on the part of our 
heavenly Father to make clear to his children the great 
spiritual verities in which are involved their highest well- 
being. At best there is much connected with our eternal 
interests that our finite powers can not fully know. Infini- 
ties must necessarily elude the grasp of the finite, but the 
all-wise One seems to have used every possible means in 
making clear to our limited comprehension everything that 



116 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

we can possibly understand. Types serve the purpose of 
elaborate pictorial representations and illustrations, adding 
much to the clearness of the great subject that they fore- 
shadow. 

2. They show forth the unity of the Divine purpose and 
plan. 

The typical significance of the history of Israel con- 
tributes to the unity of the Scriptures of the Old and New 
Testaments. For sixteen hundred years Abraham's de- 
scendants lived under a wonderful polity that caused them 
to stand out as a people unique and peculiar among the 
nations of the earth. It was both civil and religious in 
character — a sort of politco-ecclesiastical institution that 
covered in its provisions secular and religious duties of 
every kind. The most elaborate ritualism was maintained. 
The tabernacle, the temple, the priests, the victims, the 
observance of days and times and seasons, all united to 
produce a splendid ceremonialism that calls for our respect 
and admiration merely as a beautiful form of worship. 
But what does it all mean? Does its purpose begin and 
end with itself ? Did Jehovah who gave it intend it merely 
for Israel, or did it have also a wider and more general and 
more especially a prophetic purpose ? Undoubtedly it had 
not only a present and immediate purpose to serve for the 
people to whom it was given, but it had also a future 
purpose of great importance. Surely God would not have 
given to Moses the pattern of a tabernacle with explicit in- 
structions to make the structure according to the pattern if 
it were to be merely a convenient place for religious ob- 
servances. Surely God would not give minute directions 
concerning the making of the priest's robe if it were merely 
a question of an official garment that had no other signifi- 
cance. Why should God require the slaying of an animal 
as an act of worship if all its meaning ended with the 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 117 

offering? In all these things God was serving a double 
purpose, one immediate and the other prophetic, thereby 
uniting the three great Divine dispensations in one harmo- 
nious plan. This idea of type is the fullest possible justifi- 
cation of Jewish ceremonialism. The unbeliever, refusing 
to accept the doctrine of prophecy, declares that the ' ' taber- 
nacle and temple were merely great slaughter-houses. ' ' 
Destroy the idea of type and this view of the case is cor- 
rect. The slaying of an animai in and of itself can not 
be pleasing to God. He declares that it is not: Isa. i. 11, 
"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto 
me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of 
rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the 
blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.' ' Type is 
the explanation and the justification of it all. This idea 
shows the purpose of God to have been continuous through 
the ages, marching majestically onw r ard to its consumma- 
tion in Jesus Christ, the world's hope and Redeemer. 

3. They also show the unity of God's word and the 
continuity of the great Bible truths. 

Old Testament and New Testament can not be divorced. 
Type and antitype can not be separated — the lamb on 
Jewish altar from the lamb on Calvary. These things are 
married in divorceless union. The different parts of the 
Bible are not isolated, unrelated divisions, but they mutu- 
ally explain and support each other. The Bible reveals one 
great author, God ; one great purpose, the salvation of men ; 
one great central person, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of men. 
One great destiny for the righteous, eternal life ; one terrible 
doom for the wicked, everlasting destruction from the 
presence of the Lord and the glory of his power. 

In the Old and New Testaments the same great ele- 
ments of truth are found. Sin is not peculiar to any single 
age. Sacrifice belongs not to one dispensation, but to ail. 



118 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

The same is true of the offices of prophet, priest and king. 
The function abides, the manifestation changes to suit vary- 
ing circumstances and conditions. Faith, repentance, obe- 
dience, atonement, righteousness, purity, are abiding prin- 
ciples characteristic of all Divine religions. 

Thus there is seen to be an interdependence and recip- 
rocal relation between the Old and the New dispensations. 
Old Testament institutions assume a greater significance 
in the light of the New. New Testament institutions be- 
come clearer in the light of the Old. The Old Testament 
is a shadow of things to come — a prophecy before the 
event and the revealer after the event typified occurs. 

4. Types serve as outward visible representations of 
Inward spiritual truths. 

God and Christ in their office and work are vividly pre- 
sented through objects of sense or through actions wrought, 
or events that transpire before the eyes of men. The ab- 
stract is presented in the concrete, the spiritual in the ma- 
terial. The importance of this can not be overestimated. 
It is hard to grasp the purely abstract. It is really ques- 
tionable as to whether w T e would ever grasp it at all, did 
we not approach it through the concrete. So God has 
given us in the types of the Bible such material forms or 
sensuous facts as enable us to mount up to the spiritual 
realities. 

5. A special purpose to the Jew ivas served. 
Doubtless he did not understand the significance of the 

types his nation was furnishing. He could not know that 
his national history in its broad features and in many of 
its minor details was prophetic — a pictorial representation 
of greater things to come, but while he could not under- 
stand these wonderful things in all their fullness, yet 
gradually a sort of expectancy was awakened, an antici- 
pation of coming events of great importance to his nation. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 119 

Naturally he worked out the problem in harmony with his 
own desires and with what seemed to him to be the highest 
good of his nation. That his conceptions were grossly at 
fault was clearly shown by his attitude toward the kingdom 
of grace and glory when it was set up, but still the types 
helped to create an expectation concerning a coming King 
and kingdom, even if it was greatly misconceived, and 
this expectation, which was widely diffused, was of im- 
mense value to the spread of the gospel in the primitive 
age. 

It may furthermore be remarked that the Old Testa- 
ment types must be of immense value in the conversion of 
the Jews if ever they shall turn to Christ in large num- 
bers, as many think will be the case at a not distant day. 

In the tabernacle and temple worship many important 
lessons were taught and in God 's providential dealings with 
the nation as well. The deserts of sin were shown and the 
value of repentance was set forth ; vicarious atonement was 
taught, since the animal offered up died not for its own 
sin. These and other great lessons were inculcated by the 
typical history and worship of the chosen nation. 

6. Types furnish a very strong kind of Christian evi- 
dence. 

As the glove fits the hand, as the shoe fits the track, so 
the great antitype set forth in the New Testament fits the 
types furnished in the Old. The agreement is most per- 
fect. It would seem to be impossible for an unprejudiced 
mind to compare type and antitype in the sacred Scriptures 
without being led to exclaim, "This the Lord's doing, and 
it is marvelous in our eyes." Verbal and pictorial prophecy 
are two collateral lines of Christian evidence that are sim- 
ply overwhelming in their character. What has fallen 
upon the church in these latter days that this important 
field is so sadly neglected? Have we grown fearful of the 



120 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

scoffs of skeptics who leave no means untried to overthrow 
the strong citadel of Christian faith? It was not so in 
the early days of the church. Prophecy was a magazine 
from which the apostles drew much of their most effective 
ammunition in their warfare with unbelief. They made 
prophecy a very conspicuous part of their preaching, and 
of equal prominence was the doctrine of the resurrection. 
These subjects entered into nearly all apostolic sermons, 
but they have fallen sadly into disuse in the modern pul- 
pit. A great reform is called for at this point. We need 
preachers saturated with the spirit of the prophets and 
full of the knowledge of the prophetic literature. "We 
need men of brave hearts and heroic souls who can go back 
to the prophecies of the Old Testament and lay founda- 
tions broad and strong as did Paul and Peter, and then 
build such arguments as all the powers of hell can not over- 
throw. The Christian world has had far too much of 
dilettante, emasculated preaching that concerns itself 
more with the physical sciences and literary questions than 
with the Divine revelation. Too many preachers have been 
absorbed in aesthetics, rhetoric, denominational polity, sec- 
tarian tenets, while robbery, oppression, cruelty and world- 
liness flourish unnoticed and unrebuked. Oh for a few 
such men as Isaiah and Amos and Jeremiah and Pau.. who 
had eyes that could not be blinded by the glamour of 
wealth or power, but thundered forth their terrible denun- 
ciations at the risk of popularity and even life itself. A 
study of the prophecies should occupy a very prominent 
place in every theological seminary or school wher* mon 
are trained for the ministry of the Word. There is no book 
on homiletics that sets forth the theory and practice of 
preaching so well as they can be learned from a careful 
study of the prophets. If the hearts of all ministerial 
students were thoroughly imbued with the disposition of 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 121 

the prophets and their minds filled with a knowledge of 
the prophetic writings, a new epoch would have dawned in 
the history of the church. The pulpit might not be popu- 
lar with certain classes, but it would gain the respect of 
all whose respect is worth having. No longer would the 
oppressors and robbers of the poor, many of them doubt- 
less self -deceived, sit complacently in their pews with pioua 
mien, protected by their wealth from the scathing denun- 
ciations which a faithful pulpit would heap upon them. 
No longer would the laboring classes and the abject poor 
forsake the church because it had ceased to be the great 
spiritual bread-house, intended by the Master for the 
feeding of man's keenest hunger, and had become a sort 
of literary club-house — because it was no longer an asylum 
for the poor and the needy, yea, even for the outcast, and 
had become an institution of meaningless forms and cere- 
monies, used by some as a bribe to conscience and by others 
as a sort of semi-religious place of entertainment or amuse- 
ment, or as another avenue for the display of fashion. No 
longer would Zion languish, but, girded with strength and 
power, she would go forth against the enemies of the Lord, 
"fair as the moon, bright as the sun and terrible as an 
army with banners." 

IV. It is Very Interesting to Note the Universality 
of the Type Idea. 

1. The form and manner in which Bible truth is pre- 
sented find some striking analogies in the way in which 
truth is set forth in other fields. 

This should not be surprising, since in a very impor- 
tant sense all truth comes from God, and man is always 
and everywhere endowed with moral and intellectual 
powers that are the same in kind. Consequently the meth- 
ods of presentation that are adapted to the human capabili- 



122 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

ties of one place and time will always and everywhere be 
applicable. God, who made the human soul, knows how 
to suit his truth to its innate powers and capacities. 

The above statement takes no account of the expansive 
power of education, for the reason that in this process no 
new faculties are added. The powers of the mind may be 
very much enlarged, and to a much greater extent in some 
than in others, but the process is, in all cases, limited to 
the faculties native to the soul and which are the same 
in kind in all persons. We may, therefore, expect God's 
processes of instruction to be adapted to the universal 
human mind, and we may look for resemblances in forms 
of truth and manner of presentation in all the various 
fields of knowledge. 

It has been the fashion to approach the Bible as if it 
were entirely unlike any other realm of truth. People 
have gone on the hypothesis that the laws that determine 
its methods of promulgation and that govern the human 
mind in its reception are entirely different from those that 
operate in every other field. This is an unfortunate mis- 
conception. An intelligent study will show that while the 
Bible is primarily concerned with spiritual verities as dis- 
tinguished from the purely intellectual and physical, yet 
there is a very close relation and interdependence among 
these forms of truth and they are never in conflict. God's 
work as revealed in the Bible does not proceed on different 
principles and by different processes from his work in 
nature. God's laws of spiritual growth are not different 
from the laws of growth discoverable in the intellectual 
and physical worlds. The same great principles obtain. 

2. These considerations lead up to the statement that 
the type idea as shown in the Bible is an illustration of a 
universal principle that is manifest in other fields of truth. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 123 

There seems to be a harmony of structure running 
through the organic world. Unity of plan is certainly- 
discoverable in all the realm of nature, and along with 
this may be placed the idea of design, herein being shown 
two unimpeachable facts. In organic structure there is 
almost infinite variety of parts, yet in each sub-kingdom 
there is a typical form which each individual approaches 
in its general structure. The leaf is a typical plant. The 
same truth finds illustration in the animal kingdom. The 
human form seems to be the model form in the vertebrate 
sub-kingdom. All the lower animals bear a striking re- 
semblance to man. Every skeleton is composed of the 
same parts. The fin of the whale has almost every seg- 
ment and bone of the human hand and arm. Conformity 
to the human type appears very striking in the brain, as 
the following quotation from Hugh Miller shows: "In 
constructing this curious organ in man, Nature first lays 
down a grooved cord as the carpenter lays down the keel 
of his vessel; and on this narrow base the perfect brain, 
as month after month passes by, is gradually built up like 
the vessel from the keel. First it grows up into a brain 
closely resembling that of a fish; a few additions more 
impart the perfect appearance of the brain of a bird. It 
then develops into a brain exceedingly like that of a mam- 
miferous quadruped, and finally, expanding a top and 
spreading out its deeply corrugated lobes till they project 
widely over the base, it assumes its unique character as a 
human brain. Radically such at first it passes through all 
the inferior forms from that of the fish upwards, as if 
each man were in himself a compendium of all animated 
nature and of kin to every creature that lives. " 

3. In this harmony of structure and unity of plan 
not only is the type idea clearly revealed, hut man's typi- 
cal history is shown. 



124 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

Geology and the Bible unite in bearing testimony to 
successive creations. The order attested by both seems to 
be as follows : Plants, fishes, birds, cattle, man. There was 
a shadowing forth of the climax of creation in the lower 
animal forms. The inferior and less perfect animals bore 
a prospective resemblance to man. The brain of the fish 
pointed to something higher. So the brain of the bird ; so 
of the mammal ; so the fin of the whale. Thus we see that 
the various parts and organs of man were sketched out in 
anticipation in the lower animals. The same plan runs 
through type and antitype. 

Man must have been in the mind of the great Architect 
from the beginning, while the prophecies concerning him 
were written in the animal types that preceded him. 

4. Even man's intellectual peculiarities and habits 
seem to have been typified in the animal instincts. 

Filial duty and loyalty has its type in the habits of 
the bee, loyal and dutiful to the last degree. Home-mak- 
ing marital fidelity is typified in the habits of the home- 
building sw T allow, constant in its fidelity to its mate; gov- 
ernment and commonwealth are foreshadowed in the habits 
of ants, who divide the community up into workers and 
warriors, and even man's baser propensities are typified 
in the systematic wars of these little creatures and in the 
fact that the victorious army carries off the vanquished, 
who become their slaves. 

It is needless to trace the resemblances further. A 
study of the animal w r orld reveals a very wonderful typical 
resemblance to man, who stands at the summit of creation, 
the highest product of the Divine workmanship. As we 
note these striking resemblances, we see the shadow 7 of ap- 
proaching humanity and thus can realize something of the 
expectancy that must have been awakened in the world by 
the type and prophecy of the Old Testament Scriptures. 






HEBREW PROPHECY. 125 

Truly the analogies in the forms of presenting truth in 
the different realms are close and wonderful and point 
clearly to the one great author of nature and revelation. 

IV. This Type Idea in Nature Lays a Broad and Solid 
Foundation for Bible Types. 

If in the natural or material world the lower orders 
furnish types of the higher, and especially of the being that 
occupies the highest point in the ascending climax of crea- 
tion, why may not this same process be continued until the 
process of creation is complete in the new spiritual being 
realized in Jesus Christ? Is there anything in such an 
assumption that is any more wonderful than that which we 
behold in the typical history written in the lower species 
and genera foreshadowing the successive higher forms? 
This thought leads us to note: 

1. The close resemblance of God's plan in nature to 
God's plan in the Bible. 

In the second Adam, Jesus Christ, the great antitype 
and archetype appeared. Here is the climax of infinite 
wisdom and grace. Through ages the Divine purpose was 
marching on to its accomplishment. No sooner does the 
first Adam appear, fulfilling the typical history written 
through long lines of pre-existing animal forms, than the 
fuller purpose of God begins to be made manifest through 
type and verbal prophecy. This illustrates the fact that so 
far as earth is concerned nothing ever completely ends. 
Every ending is a great beginning. Adam was an ending 
in one sense, but a great beginning in a more important 
sense. Of the greater thing to come, partial glimpses are 
given from time to time. Persons, institutions, events rise 
to view all marked by faults, but all prophetic of some- 
thing better, until at last the great Divine idea is realized 
in all its perfection and beauty. Finally the first perfect 



126 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

man appears to view. To him gave all the prophets 
witness. No wonder John said, ' ' In the beginning was the 
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was 
God. ' ' No wonder Nicodemus said, ' ' Rabbi, we know that 
thou art a teacher sent from God." No wonder the law- 
yers said, "Never man spake as this man." No wonder 
Pilate said, "I find no fault in him." No wonder the 
soldiers said, "Truly this was the Son of God." 

2. There are therefore two great lines of types and 
two great antitypes. 

Adam was a great antitype and archetype. Ages of 
pre-Adamic history pointed down to him. His body and 
habits had all been foreshadowed. His history had been 
written beforehand in animal types. Strange typical re- 
semblances appeared from time to time in the successive 
dynasties of the animal creation. The pre-Adamic, if such 
being there had been, might well have aspired to read all 
this. Finally the great antitype appeared in God's image. 

This; however, was not the final and complete realiza- 
tion of the Divine plan. At once another great line of 
types is instituted. Mingled with these types are verbal 
utterances, all pointing to another great antitype, the 
second Adam. In him a higher idea would be realized. 
In the first Adam the creature stands in the image of his 
creator. In the second Adam creator and creature meet 
in vital union. Man not simply in the image of God, but 
Divinity and humanity wedded — the human strengthened 
by the Divine. Here is seen the acme of Divine love and 
mercy. Here is the keystone in the arch of Divine con- 
descension and compassion, when Jesus the God-man ap- 
pears and humanity is lifted up to Divinity. 

Away with the idea of a purely human Christ. "I 
believe with all my heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son 
of the living God." He was the son of Mary and Son of 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 127 

God. He must be both human and Divine. The Divine 
must come into the human and lift it up to its own plane. 
"The first man Adam was of the earth, earthy; the sec- 
ond was the Lord from heaven." 

3. Bible types thus stand justified by types in the 
material world. 

Shall God employ a long line of types looking to the 
first Adam, and use none looking to the second? Shall 
brain of fish or fin of whale point to the one, and no mark 
or symbol or sign point to Him for whom the world waited 
and whom angels delighted to honor? 

This idea alone is a sufficient explanation of the Divine 
method in selecting men to represent the various phases 
of Christ's life and work. Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, 
the history of Israel, the tabernacle and temple, all receive 
special significance. 

4. Types are not only thus confirmed, but great pros- 
pects are disclosed. 

It was a grand climax when types in animal nature 
culminated in man. No wonder he was made lord of the 
world, for he was truly a noble creature. Sea, earth and 
air were his inheritance. 

But what shall man become when linked to God — made 
partaker of the Divine nature for the purpose of rectify- 
ing all evil? Shall it be paradise regained? No, man is 
lifted infinitely above his original condition, and one thus 
lifted up can say with John : "It is not yet made manifest 
what we shall be. "We know that if he shall be manifested, 
we shall be like him, for we shall see him even as he is." 
Such is the wonderful prospect opened up to our vision. 



128 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

V. Principles that Apply in the Interpretation op 

Types.* 

In the interpretation of types there are certain canons 
that should be observed to protect us from visionary ap- 
plications, which, as a matter of course, would vitiate all 
our conclusions. The student is not left to chance or his 
own ingenuity for the discovery of types and typical ap- 
plications, but there are some obvious rules that guide him 
in his studies and direct him to conclusions that are safe 
and trustworthy. Some of the more important and clearly 
ascertained canons have been enumerated as follows: 

1. Do not mistake accidental and superficial resem- 
blances for typical relations. 

For instance, this rule would be violated by making 
the borrowed garments of Jacob, when he received the 
blessing of Isaac, represent the fact that we receive the 
blessing of God clothed in the righteousness of Jesus 
Christ. We can not for a monment suppose that the 
fraudulent transaction of Jacob and his mother in using 
the garments of Esau to deceive Isaac was intended to 
picture to us the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed 
to us through the mercy of our God. The resemblance 
must be regarded as of the most casual and arbitrary kind 
and void of any typical significance whatsoever. 

2. The type must have been preordained as a picture 
of the great spiritual antitype. 

This rule presupposes that there is a Divine purpose 
antedating all typical history, and that this purpose con- 
trols and shapes events both for the prefiguring and the 
final realization of the things embraced in the purpose. 
As to whether God specially directs or shapes events so 
that they may serve a pictorial purpose or merely selects 



'See Fairbairn on Typology, Vol. I., Chap. YI. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 129 

them with this purpose in view, still it remains true that 
types are chosen beforehand by God with prophetic pur- 
pose, and are not mere accidental resemblances discovered 
by human ingenuity. This preordained character of the 
type is shown by its peculiar nature, as, for instance, when 
it presents many close and striking resemblances, or by its 
very peculiar and unusual character, or, as is sometimes 
the case, by the express declaration of the inspired penman. 

3. Things that are sinful in themselves must not be 
regarded as typical of the good things that belong to the 
kingdom of God. 

This grows out of the fact that type is a foreshadow- 
ing of the Divine purpose; both type and antitype are 
from God. 

This canon does not interfere with the fact that God 
can overrule the wickedness of men to his own glory. It 
simply means that sin can not foreshadow righteousness. 
Only what God stamps with his approval can foreshadow 
the higher good which he contemplates. Violation of this 
rule is seen in making the falsehood and dissimulation of 
Jacob referred to above typical of the blessing received 
through Christ. 

This does not preclude the possibility that some wicked 
things may become typical by necessary relation. As re- 
marked in a previous lecture, truth and error stand op- 
posed to each other and are in perpetual conflict. Over 
against all forms of truth are placed corresponding forms 
of error. The pardon and liberty offered in Christ imply 
guilt and slavery, and consequently the type of the former 
may be opposed, by necessary relation, by the type of the 
latter. Thus type and antitype may have their opposing 
evils that are typically related. 

The wicked Egyptian nation in the sinful bondage that 
it exercised over the children of Israel typifies the bond- 



130 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

age exercised over men by sin. The corrupt Babylonian 
people in the captivity they were permitted by God to 
impose upon the children of Judah typify the captivity 
of the church to the mystical Babylon or the apostate 
Roman hierarchy. Owing, therefore, to the universal op- 
position of the bad to the good, the evil that opposed the 
type foreshadows the corresponding evil that opposes the 
antitype. 

In a similar manner even the chastisements for sin in 
a former age, if not typical of, may at least suggest similar 
chastisements for corresponding forms of iniquity in suc- 
ceeding ages. If God's vials of wrath have been poured 
out upon nations in the past for their wrong-doing, why 
should not the same thing come upon nations to-day or in 
the future that are guilty of like sins? Nay, if nations 
refuse to learn from the experience of the past, ought not 
the chastisements to be more severe as the ages advance? 
4. Our interpretation of types must not he made to 
depend upon the knowledge which the Hebrew worshipers 
had of their significance, but rather upon the light fur- 
nished by the great antitype. 

If we try to confine type to what the Israelites saw in 
the typical person or event, we would reduce the whole 
subject to very narrow and inconsequential limits. Just 
how much they saw it may be hard for us to determine, 
but certain it is that their knowledge was very meager. 
They were concerned chiefly with their own present, and in 
all probability they saw not the typical meaning of their 
institutions and great influential characters. Even the 
prophets did not understand the scope of their own pre- 
dictions in many instances. But this does not affect the 
reality or import of either verbal prophecy or type. No 
form of prophecy is history written in advance. To hold 
such a conception is to utterly misconceive the nature of 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 131 

the whole subject. This being the case, we do not take our 
stand at the source of the stream of prophecy and look 
downward to the fulfillment, but we pursue the opposite 
method. We read the type in the light of the antitype, 
"It is Christ who holds the key of types and not Moses. " 
In this view of the case it matters not what the ancients 
saw or did not see, the important question is what did 
Christ and the apostles see? What can we see as we 
place type and antitype together and institute a compari- 
son regulated by safe criteria? 

5. We should study the types as providential trans- 
actions or as religious institutions, and ascertain' their 
primary and immediate significance as a basis for the 
typical import. 

What did the things used as types mean immediately 
to patriarch or Israelite? Having ascertained this, we 
may mount upward to the corresponding spiritual fact in 
the antitype, making the former the basis of the latter. 
This goes upon the assumption fully warranted that the 
same elements of truth run through both type and anti- 
type, the difference -being simply in gradation. In the 
type the truth is embodied on the lower or material plane ; 
in the antitype, on the higher or spiritual plane. Physi- 
cal bondage and deliverance typifies spiritual bondage 
and deliverance, the lamb on Jewish altar, the lamb on 
Calvary. These illustrations clearly suggest what is im- 
plied in the canon. This in no way contradicts the pre- 
ceding principle. The institutions of the chosen nation 
had a definite meaning for the people to whom they were 
given. To understand this does not mean that they 
grasped even remotely the secondary or prophetical mean- 
ings. It simply means that if we can ascertain the 
meaning to the Israelites, we have a basis upon which to 
build the antitypal superstructure. 



132 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

6. The typical institution or event has but one radi- 
cal meaning, but the fundamental idea may have several 
applications. 

This rule simply means that each type expresses some 
definite truth. It is evident this must apply only to such 
types as are single in their nature. It asserts that simple 
acts or events can not typify two or more different things. 
In case the type is complex in character, the different 
factors or component parts may each foreshadow some 
corresponding feature in the antitype, and in that case 
the antitype will exhibit the same complexity that is set 
forth in the type, but the elementary parts of the type 
must each show forth some definite part of the complex 
antitype. To deviate from this rule would lead to end- 
less confusion. 

But let not this principle lead us to the conclusion 
that there can be but one application of a type to the 
spiritual antitype. Christ is the great antitype, yet his 
church collectively and each individual member of it are, 
potentially at least, copies of him. The type may, there- 
fore, find its primary application in Christ and secondary 
applications in the church and even the individual Chris- 
tian, and in not a few cases the type points wholly and 
entirely to the church which is the divinely ordained 
channel of the blessings received through Christ. 

7. There is an essential difference between type and 
antitype which must be clearly apprehended and duly 
regarded. 

Type pertains to matters on the lower terrestrial plane 
that have to do with outward relations and material 
interests largely. They belong to the outward bodily life. 
They deal with temporal objects. Even in the typical 
worship spiritual realities were represented under mate- 
rial forms. The sacrifice, the laver, the golden candle- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 133 

stick, the shewbread, the cherubim were all material 
representations of the spiritual verities. On the other 
hand, the antitype mounts up to a higher plane. Here 
we meet the great spiritual truths and relations prefigured 
in the type under material forms. Here w r e lay hold 
upon the unseen and eternal things which are the more 
readily and clearly understood by reason of the outward 
material forms through which they are approached by a 
rational study of the types. Does not Israel's bondage 
and deliverance help us to understand better our bondage 
under sin and our deliverance? Does not the baptism of 
the nation unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea help 
us the better to understand what is involved in our bap- 
tism into Christ? Does not the wilderness march give us 
a clearer idea of our spiritual journey? But it is need- 
less to press this question any further. The essential 
difference is manifest. One pertains to visible material 
forms and relations, the other to the invisible and spirit- 
ual matters. What shall we say, then, of those who seek 
in the antitype to find a reproduction of the type in kind? 
Such a course means to surrender the good things of 
the gospel dispensation for the husks of Judaism. The 
apostles had to contend with this very tendency, and even 
at this present time there are those who are trying to 
Judaize the church by an utter failure to comprehend 
the essential difference betw r een type and antitype. What 
a misfortune that any Christian should so misapprehend 
the nature of his inheritance in Christ as to confound 
it with the shadows of the good things to come. The 
apostle Paul warns the Corinthian Christians against the 
false teachings and mistaken criticisms of Judaizing 
teachers, as follows (Col. ii. 16, 17) : "Let no man 
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of 



134 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

a feast day, or a new moon, or a sabbath day: which are 
a shadow of the things to come ; but the body is Christ 's. ' ' 
One thing, however, should be borne in mind at this 
point. We very properly designate the things pertaining 
to the " kingdom of grace and glory" as spiritual and 
eternal, as they are distinguished from the things belong- 
ing to the patriarchal and Jewish dispensations, yet we 
must not forget that these higher things are not entirely 
divorced from the things of this world. Jesus Christ, the 
great spiritual King, took on himself the form of a man 
and lived a life in the flesh and suffered and died here on 
this earth, ajid in so doing fulfilled the prophecies and 
types orf the former dispensations. In like manner the life 
of the church and of the individual Christian, while called 
spiritual, touches in a very real way this outward and 
visible world, but this fact doe not reduce this gospel 
kingdom to a level with Judaism. W'hile it has to do with 
the world, it is not of the world. While it does not neglect 
the material, its purposes are spiritual. Nay, it uses the 
temporal with supreme reference to the eternal. It looks 
not merely to the life that now is, but more especially to 
the life that is to come. All that is external has an 
internal meaning and is used for the sustenance of the 
spiritual life. Hence, while the Christian lives amidst the 
seen, he does not give himself up to it, but makes it con- 
tribute to his spiritual good ; consequently, Paul could say 
(II. Cor. iv. 18) : "We look not at the things which are 
seen, but at the things which are not seen ; for the things 
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not 
seen are eternal. " The eye of the Christian is in the 
heavenly direction. Although he lives in the world and 
necessarily touches on every side the things of time and 
sense, yet the eternal interests of the soul constitute his 
chief concern. He lives continually under the power of the 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 135 

world to come and his life may therefore be properly 
called spiritual. 

8. We should regard things as standing in the rela- 
tion of type and antitype when the resemblance is so 
striking as to preclude the possibility of coincidence. 

It is not certain that this rule is of very special value, 
since all cases that would fall under it are probably 
covered by other criteria of judgment, but it may serve a 
good purpose by corroborating the conclusions reached 
under other rules. 

The meaning is certainly very evident. If the re- 
semblance between the supposed type and antitype be 
seemingly unimportant, we may very properly doubt the 
existence of a preordained typical relation, and may there- 
fore hold the resemblance to be purely accidental, but if 
the feature of agreement be close, and especially if the 
thing foreshadowed by the type is of great importance, we 
may reasonably conclude that the point of similarity was 
divinely arranged. 

As the final and most important rule of all, we add: 

9. Accept as type all that is declared to be, or that is 
used as such, in the Scriptures themselves. 

When the Bible speaks, this should be an end of all 
controversy, or when the historic incidents are treated as 
having typical significance, we should regard the case as 
settled. Much of the Old Testament history is treated in 
this way by the New Testament writers. In fact, in its 
broad general features the history of the fleshly Israel is 
treated as typical of the spiritual Israel by Christ and his 
apostles, and also incidents running back to the creation 
are given typical significance. Thus it will be seen that 
the Old Testament abounds in predictive prophecy, since 
much of the history it records has a double meaning. 



136 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

VII. The Type Idea as Revealed in the Natural World 

Stands as a Complete Vindication of the Slow 

but Majestic Movements of God in the 

Redemption of Man. 

When we speak of vindicating God we simply mean 
the setting forth of grounds on which the actions of God 
may stand approved by the weak and finite judgment of 
men. It may be asserted on purely arbitrary and a priori 
grounds that whatever God does is right, but it is certainly 
well to fortify these arbitrary judgments by reasons that 
our minds can comprehend and approve. If our faith be 
not the stronger for our pains, it will certainly be more 
satisfying. What can be more convincing than to find that 
in the two great volumes of nature and revelation, prin- 
ciples and processes, if not indeed identical, are, at least, 
similar. In this way an understanding of the former not 
only helps us to an understanding of the latter, but it 
increases our faith in the justness of our conclusions. In 
order to bring forward the analogy we desire to trace, it 
will be well to consider that: 

1. The plan of redemption viewed in reference to its 
development, presents some strange aspects. 

First may be mentioned its extreme slowness. Mil- 
lenniums rolled by, after the first Adam sinned, before 
the second Adam appeared on the scene to champion the 
cause of the vanquished. During these long ages sin with 
all its hideous fruits had cursed the race through all the 
intervening centuries. The world, in the words of the 
apostle, was groaning and travailing in pain, and nation 
after nation had gone down under its awful blighting 
power. In the meantime, the sin-cursed world seemed to 
have been left in ignorance of the benevolent purpose of 
God to send a deliverer, and even the nation to whom the 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 137 

purpose was in a measure revealed, utterly misunderstood 
the nature and scope of the promised blessing. 

Then, in connection with these facts, consider the 
multitude of agencies called into use in the development 
of the stupendous plan. Practically all the nations of 
earth unconsciously contributed something to the general 
preparation. All wrought together through the ages for 
the outworking of the plan that was in the mind of God 
from before the foundation of the world. 

Lastly, we may note the slow progress made in moral 
elevation even where this divine plan is in operation. In- 
dividual development is a slow process. It requires many 
years to produce even a well-matured body, and a longer 
time is required for the unfolding of the intellectual and 
spiritual man. The prime factor in education can not be 
eliminated except at the sacrifice of the good that is sought. 
The Bible clearly recognizes the gradual process in spirit- 
ual growth. The blade, the ear, the full corn in the ear 
is the order. Babes first to be fed on milk, afterward the 
strong Christian man, but it takes time. The ascent is 
very gradual. The difference in moral elevation is very 
smaill from day to day. It takes a long time to overcome 
one's faults; it requires much time for the development 
of the sterling virtues and manly qualities. But slow 
as is the process of individual growth, the moral and in- 
tellectual uplift of the masses is infinitely slower. One 
man or a few men can be lifted up with far greater ease 
than can the common crowd. It requires a long time to 
get a great truth into the minds of all men. Hence it is 
that all social, political and religious reforms move very 
slowly. He who labors for the uplifting of humanity must 
have infinite patience and longsuffering. 

2. God's methods of development, as revealed in the 
moral history of the race, afford a beautiful parallel to 



138 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

the laws upon which development proceeds in the physical 
universe; nay, the analogy is so close it may not he going 
too far to say that apparently the same principles are at 
work in both realms. (See Drummond's "Natural Law 
in the Spiritual World/') 

Progress seems to be the one essential condition of 
happiness. Thus only can existence be justified and the 
true end of being be secured, but while this is true God 
seems to act with great deliberation in all his unfolding 
processes, which fact only speaks of his eternity. Many 
ages intervened between the first primordial form and 
man. Many and diverse agencies wrought for the accom- 
plishment of the great purpose of preparing a world for 
the wonderful being which in the fullness of time should 
stand forth in the divine image as the product of the 
highest creative act of God. Successive dynasties of the 
animal creation arose, and doubtless many perished that 
we know not of. In all this we have a close parallel with 
that which we behold in the physical, moral and intellec- 
tual preparation of the world for the advent of the second 
Adam. Slow, majestic movement seems to be the charac- 
teristic process in all spheres of divine action, and this 
seems to find its justification in the constitution of uni- 
versal nature. 

3. It should encourage us to see that beneficent ends 
are served by this slowness. 

When the first Adam came the world was ready for 
him. Had his advent been hastened, doubtless he would 
have perished amidst th£ conditions that existed unfavor- 
able to his struggle for existence. God waited until all 
things were prepared so that he might have at least a fair 
chance for the accomplishment of the divine purpose in 
his creation. The same fact is true in the coming of the 
second Adam. He came in the fullness of time. An earlier 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 139 

coming would have meant failure, so far as we are able 
to judge of the power of the then existing conditions. 
The very slowness of God's movements insured the success 
of his benevolent designs. Intellectual and moral prepara- 
tion must proceed in harmony with psychological prin- 
ciples as they apply to the mass of mankind. The process 
can not be hastened beyond a certain degree of rapidity 
without coming in conflict with the very constitution of the 
soul. • God, who made the soul, in his wisdom saw fit to 
give to it certain constitutional elements. Thereafter God 
must respect these fundamental characteristics, whether he 
be dealing with the individual man or with humanity in 
the mass. 

4. A parallel may be traced between the first and 
second Adam in the disappointment felt by the Jewish 
nation concerning the latter. 

In some respects the first Adam might be regarded as 
a disappointment. The animal forms that preceded him, 
and that typified him so fully, surpassed him in many 
respects. He was not so strong as the lion, nor so keen- 
sighted as the eagle, nor so swift as the gazelle, nor so 
hardy as the ox. His offspring was the most helpless of 
all living creatures, but wrapped up in him were potencies 
that made him the superior of any and all combined. 
That divine essence, the soul, lifted him infinitely above the 
purely animal plane. 

So Christ did not meet the general expectation. He 
for whom the world was waiting was not know T n when he 
made his appearance. He w r as not a Caesar in war. He 
was not a Cicero in oratory. He wrote no books and 
produced no great epic poems such as Homer and Virgil 
had written, and yet in him were potencies that lifted him 
infinitely above all the world's greatest characters. In him 
dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He was 



140 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

greater than Alexander, greater than Socrates, greater 
than the greatest man the world had produced. In plan, 
method, feeling and purpose he was Divine. Humanity 
was lifted up to Divinity by Divinity coming into human- 
ity. Thus was God's great conception at last realized. 
Well may we sing as we contemplate this wonderful char- 
acter — 

"All hail to the power of Je name, 
Let angels prostrate fall ; 
Bring forth the royal diadem, 
And crown him Lord of all. " 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 141 

LECTURE VII. 
PREDICTIVE PROPHECY. 



Introduction. 

1. In approaching the study of predictive prophecy 
it is well to bear in mind that the mere foretelling of 
future events does not exhaust the purpose of prophecy. 

God's message to man covers a vast field of which 
prediction constitutes only a small part. Let it not be 
forgotten that prophecy in its broadest sense compasses 
the entirety of the Divine message communicated through 
human agency. Prediction is that part of the message 
that relates to the events that are future at the time of its 
delivery. It is simply the foretelling of events, uttered 
in some cases but a brief time before the occurrence of the 
thing predicted ; in other cases it antedates the events fore- 
told by centuries and millenniums, and the fulfillment of 
the eschatological portions lies of course in the indefinite 
future. But whether the events foretold follow soon or 
are long delayed, this class of prophecies has alw r ays pos- 
sessed a peculiar fascination for the average mind and 
its importance is readily discoverable. 

2. Several factors enter into the general purpose of 
the different predictions. Probably in every case more 
than one purpose was served. 

It is very evident that one great end secured by all 
fulfilled predictions is that of evidence. Jesus said, "I 
have told you before it come to pass that when it is come 
to pass ye might believe." This evidential value is of 
great importance. It constitutes one of the impregnable 
bulwarks of Christianity. It was used by Christ and his 



142 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

apostles with telling effect. But this evidently does not 
cover the whole purpose, -at least in many cases. Some- 
times conditional future events were foretold as warnings. 
When this was the case they served as powerful motives 
to repentance. The case of the Ninevites is an illustration 
in point. Sometimes a brighter future was disclosed for 
the encouragement of the prophet and of the people in the 
midst of their calamities, that hope might be kept alive. 
Other purposes are discoverable in certain cases, but what- 
ever ends were secured in isolated and individual predic- 
tions, it is very evident that Christ and his church con- 
stitute the very core of predictive prophecy, and doubt- 
less one of the great ends in view was the directing of the 
minds of men in a general way to this final Messianic king- 
dom that would hold in its keeping the redemption of the 
race. 

3. Why, it may be asked, has this kind of prophecy 
held the interest of men in such a peculiar way? 

This may be explained by the fact that most people 
are anxious about the future. What will to-morrow bring 
forth? What has the future in store for me? These are 
questions of universal interest. If man cares not for the 
future, it must be because hope is dead. As long as the 
hearts of men yearn and the souls of men aspire, the future 
will continue to excite the interest of mankind. But how- 
ever anxious we may be concerning the future, the 
heavenly Father has not seen fit to reveal it to men in any 
very specific sense, and doubtless it is best so. If we might 
pull aside the impenetrable veil and look down the vista 
of the future, who would dare to put forth his hand? 
To do so might be to freeze the soul with terror or para- 
lyze it with despair. The great general future every man 
may know. "All thngs work together for good to them 
that love Ood. ' ' Virtue will have its reward and sin will 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 143 

reap its just consequences. To do one's best to-day and 
trust to God for to-morrow is the divine philosophy of life. 
The little narrow future of detail no one can see or ought 
to see; the great future God has revealed and all may 
know. This, however, does not contravene the fact that 
God has revealed certain events that have transpired for 
the furthering of his own wise purposes which even our 
finite understanding can in a measure grasp and our judg- 
ment approve. 

4. This department of prophecy necessarily raises the 
question of the origin of Christianity and its relations to 
Judaism. 

If the Messianic kingdom constitutes the marrow and 
fatness of predictive prophecy, as has been said, then 
certain vital questions receive very definite and satisfying 
answers. Whence came this institution called the kingdom 
of heaven? In the light of predictive prophecy, it came 
from God. Its name is not a misnomer,, as some would 
have us believe, but most strikingly appropriate. What is 
its nature? Evidently it is Divine. What is its destiny? 
Manifestly all that its Divine author and founder de- 
signed. At once the claim that Christianity is merely the 
outcome of determining circumstances is set aside. It is 
not the unfolding of forces and principles inherent in the 
constitution of the moral and intellectual world, but a 
Divine system of superhuman origin implanted by super- 
natural power, a system with roots running back to the 
origin of the race and gradually unfolded under divine 
superintendence, foretold and prefigured in the predictive 
prophecies of the Old Testament. Therefore, as might be 
expected, the church of Christ has traced its origin to the 
Divine institution of Judaism that preceded it and has 
ever claimed to be the true Israel of God. It regards 
Jewish history with its great salient features and striking 



144 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

institutions as pregnant with the promise of a universal 
kingdom holding in its keeping the salvation of a world. 
The Old and New Testaments are thus bound together in 
divorceless union. 

We are thus led to consider some of the 

1. Important Considerations Necessary to a Clear 
View of Predictive Prophecy. 

1. The human medium through which all prophecy 
comes necessarily leaves its impress upon the Divine 
communication. 

The prophet never ceases to be a man. He feels and 
acts as a man. The prophecy must and does conform to 
the psychological laws of his being. The message does 
not originate in the prophet, but, being implanted there 
by the direct inspirational act of God, it necessarily takes 
on the psychical form and verbal dress characteristics of 
the prophet delivering it. "We have this treasure in 
earthen vessels." The native powers of the soul are not 
overridden or destroyed, but rather enlarged sufficiently 
to see and thus declare the particular future event or 
events that God desires each prophet to set forth. 

The verbal dress is largely determined by the indi- 
vidual peculiarities of the prophet. All Oriental speech 
abounds in metaphor and simile and each prophet has his 
own rhetorical peculiarities. All this must be taken into 
the account in our interpretations. The prophets used 
words and figures in harmony with the general ideas and 
prevailing custom of their times, and we should seek to 
know the impressions that would naturally be conveyed 
to the persons immediately addressed by the forms and 
figures of speech used. 

2. It is also very clear that the vision of the prophet 
leaps at once to the final object of prediction, but he 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 145 

is not permitted to see the intervening occurrences and 
modifying conditions or even the circumstances concomi- 
tant with the ultimate event. 

As a close observer he may see the moulding influences 
and formative movements of his own present, and through 
inspired vision he may behold the end toward which all 
is tending, but the thousand factors that contribute to the 
final result are unknown to him and even the end itself, 
although foretold by him, may be utterly misapprehended. 
Hence there is a vast difference between predictive 
prophecy and history. The historian records events and 
traces causes leading up to them, but the prophet is per- 
mitted to see the final end without any of the explanatory 
or causal circumstances. Something analogous to this 
may be seen by any one who will cast his vision backward 
to any prominent incident of his life. Much that was 
vividly present to his mind at the time the incident oc- ■ 
curred is now gone and for the time being the multitude 
of intervening events have dropped out of sight. The one 
circumstance seems to stand out isolated and alone. So 
the mind of the prophet seems to leap into the future and 
grasp the circumstances that God reveals and which he 
gives to us in vivid outline. The future event is described 
in the language oftentimes of a far distant past age, and to 
the prophet it appears from the standpoint of his own 
present colored by his own local environments and circum- 
stances, while to the future it will necessarily be seen from 
a different view-point and may therefore take on a differ- 
ent aspect. The New Testament applications of Old Testa- 
ment prophecy illustrate this point clearly. We can 
readily see in the light of this fact why remote events 
seemed near at hand to the prophet. The final event stood 
alone. The intervening circumstances, with their directing 
and modifying influences, were below the line of vision. 



146 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

The distant, therefore, seemed near. Things can only be 
kept in their proper time relations by the adjustment fur- 
nished by the consecution of events, and when this is 
lacking the remote seems near at hand, whether the back- 
ward or forward view be taken. A thousand years are but 
a day when only the present moment and the events of the 
last hour of the millenniums are seen. If all intervening 
events are cut out, the idea of time vanishes. 

3. It is not the Divine purpose that in predictive 
prophecies the date of fulfillment should be revealed be- 
forehand. 

A few instances occur when the time of fulfillment is 
clearly indicated, but in general the above rule holds good 
and there are good reasons why this should be so. We 
must bear in mind that God is not writing history in 
advance. This is not even a side purpose or a secondary 
result of prophecy, and consequently dates given before- 
hand would in no way contribute to the working out of 
the Divine idea. It will also be readily seen that if dates 
had been given, men could set themselves to work to defeat 
the end predicted, which could, so far as we see, only be 
prevented by the exercise of miraculous power. Let it, 
then, be kept in mind that certain events, which would be 
brought to pass through causal forces and influences, were 
predicted in their bold features dissociated from detailed 
formative circumstances and accompanying relations, leav- 
ing the question of date in obscurity until in the light of 
fulfillment the key would be given to solve the otherwise 
inscrutable mystery. Symbolic numbers are quite freely 
used in the prophetic writings, but it would be a great 
mistake to suppose that thereby exact dates were intended 
to be conveyed in such a way that they could be read 
before the event transpired. After the occurrence of the 
event the case is entirely different. Then if the mystic 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 147 

numbers yield up their secret, a beneficent end is attained 
in the additional ground of confidence thus furnished. The 
evidential value of the prediction, which is the chief value, 
would thus be enhanced. Jesus clearly taught that it was 
not the purpose of God to reveal the times and seasons 
of coming events. "Be ye ready" is the admonition. 
"Redeem the time." Act your best to-day and be not 
concerned about what will transpire to-morrow. All great 
future events are near at hand. What matters the little 
interval of time that separates between us and them when 
the great sweep of eternity is taken into the account? Be 
it long or short as measured by temporal standards, it is 
only a moment of eternity, and if God has declared it will 
come to pass, it is just as certain as if the next hour should 
usher it in, yea, as if our eyes already beheld it. As the 
prophetic vision leaps from the present to the future 
event, despising all intermediate details, it is as if it were 
already here. In those things that yet remain to be ful- 
filled let us not worry ourselves about the w T hen, but let 
us act in the living present with the same confidence as 
if the event were already seen, for the coming is more 
certain than the rising of to-morrow's sun. 

Let us not suppose that time with God is measured by 
the revolutions of our earth or by its journey around the 
sun. "One day w r ith the Lord is as a thousand years, and 
a thousand years as one day. ' ' We have already referred 
to the apparent slowness of God's movements. Is it. not 
because we are attempting to measure the majestic move- 
ments of God in the outworking of his infinite purposes by 
our little finite standards that progress seems slow? All 
human history would cover but a moment of God's great 
eternity. When a thousand years have rolled by it is 
with God as it is with us when we lie dow r n at night 
and rise up in the morning. When the fullness of time 



148 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

comes, God's clock strikes the hour of destiny for men 
and nations, but its pendulum does not swing in the isoch- 
ronal beats of earth's chronometers. If one day is as a 
thousand years, let us not forget that a thousand years is 
as one day. God can gather the fruit of a thousand 
years' growth in one day. The purpose of God wrought 
out through millenniums may culminate in a moment and 
to our limited vision appear as if it were done in a day. 
" Where is the promise of his coming?" says the scoffer. 
u In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," the supreme 
hour, the goal of all historic movement, the objective point 
of all prophecy, the destination of every son of Adam will 
leap into view. You may say millenniums must pass ere 
this can be. But who knows this? AVho shall say when 
the harvest is ready and when the angels will go forth to 
"gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of 
heaven to the other"? But even if this be true, let us 
ever remember that millenniums are but moments of eter- 
nity and that consequently the day is at hand. This is the 
great lesson for us to learn: "Be ye also ready, for in 
an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh. ' ' There- 
fore says the Master, "Blessed are those servants whom 
the lord when he cometh shall find w r atching. " To waste 
time in idle speculation is worse than foolish, for "of 
that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of 
heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only." The 
patient, faithful watcher is the man of true wisdom. 

4. Many of the predictions concerning Israel apply 
to the spiritual seed and must be so interpreted. 

The apostle Paul clearly teaches that the household 
of Christian faith constitutes the true Israel of God. 
"Know ye therefore that they which be of faith, the same 
are the sons of Abraham." "If ye are of Christ's, then 
are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise. " 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 149 

This is the tenor of New Testament teaching on the sub- 
ject. The promise to Abraham embraced the spiritual 
seed, and the children of the promise are the true Israel 
of God. The promise in fact embraced both the fleshly 
and spiritual seed, of which the latter is more important 
by far, the former having been made an elect nation for 
the sake of the latter. To leave this spiritual Israel out of 
view and attempt to apply all predictions concerning Is- 
rael to the children of Abraham after the flesh is to do 
violence to the meaning and intent of many of the pro- 
phetic utterances. This has been the course pursued by 
rationalistic criticism, and consequently we are not sur- 
prised at the declaration that many predictions concerning 
Israel have been disproved by history. All will agree that 
this is true if the unwarranted and false assumption be 
adopted that the term " Israel' ' is limited to the fleshly 
seed, but if Paul's view be adopted, the spiritual seed are 
the heirs of the promise, and in them are fulfilled the 
predictions concerning Israel. It is also worthy of note 
that some prophecies refer to both the fleshly and spir- 
itual seed, and have partial fulfillment in each. In such 
cases the fulfillment lies, on the one hand, in temporal, and 
on the other in spiritual phenomena, the verifications of 
the predictions concerning the fleshly Israel being typical 
and pictorial representations of the verifications witnessed 
or to be witnessed in the history and destiny of the spir- 
itual seed. 

5. Conditional predictions constitute a very interest- 
ing class of predictive prophecies, but we must not disso- 
ciate the fulfillment from the condition expressed or im- 
plied. 

The relations of the individual and society at large to 
God and his judgments are subject to variations caused 
by human character and conduct. Predictions are not ar- 



150 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

bitrary, but are based on moral conditions. The thing 
foretold has causal connection with the character of the 
individual, nation or people concerning whom the predic- 
tion is made, or at least it is set over against definite 
phases of life or conduct. Variations in causal forces 
necessarily produce corresponding variations in Divinely 
ordained results which, when they are of a punitive char- 
acter, we call judgments of God, and w 7 hich are often con- 
ditionally foretold. Even if judgments are in some cases 
and some senses arbitrary so far as w T e are able to discover 
yet since they are inflicted for evil conduct resulting from 
depraved character, it will be seen at once that any 
cause operating to produce a change for the better in 
character may work to cause a change in the judgment or 
even to entirely set it aside. This does not mean that all 
judgments foretold are conditional. On the contrary, 
many things have been predicted in which the modifying 
circumstances have already been calculated and the pre- 
diction made accordingly. It simply means that there is 
a class of predictions that may or may not come to pass, 
the issue being made dependent on certain conditions, ex- 
press or implied, that may or may not be fulfilled. In 
such cases we must not suppose that the prediction has 
failed irrespective of the expressed or implied condition. 
This conditional element in no sense impairs the validity 
of the prediction. The inspirational factor is just as clear 
and strong in this class of predictions as in any other. 
The conditional prediction will surely come to pass if the 
conditions justifying it in the divine mind exist at the 
time appointed for fulfillment. Let no one say God could 
foresee the changed conditions and make the predictions 
to fit the changed circumstances. Certainly he could have 
done so if it had seemed to him wise. He has in fact 
done so in most cases, but in other cases a conditional pre- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 151 

diction might serve to bring about the change that would 
avert the judgment, and in such instances God has used 
this form of prediction for merciful ends. In Jer. xviii. 
5-10 God plainly and explicitly declares his course of pro- 
cedure as regards this class of predictions: "Then the 
word of the Lord came to me, saying, house of Israel, 
can not I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Be- 
hold, as the clay in the potter's hands, so are ye in mine 
hand, house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak 
concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck 
up, and to break down, and to destroy it; if that nation, 
concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I 
w T ill repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 
And at what instance I shall speak concerning a nation, 
and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if 
it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I 
will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit 
them." The meaning of the anthropomorphism here used 
is a subject we need not enter upon. The intent of the 
passage is clear. Some of God's predictions he declares 
are subject to modifying circumstances, and wise and be- 
nevolent ends are doubtless thus subserved. 

II. The Wide Range of Predictive Prophecy is Also a 

Matter Worthy ofr Consideration, Serving as It 

Does to Enhance Our Appreciation of Its 

Dignity and Value. 

1. The range in form is as broad as that of prophecy 

in general. 

All forms are freely used. The various methods of 
impartation are called into play and the manner of ex- 
pression presents wonderful variety. God has placed upon 
this kind of prophecy the same marks of dignity and 
favor that ever characterize the Divine communications. 



152 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

Those who would deny the supernatural origin of pre- 
dictive prophecies can not do so on the ground that there 
is any letting down in the dignity of form, whether the 
question of the impartation to the prophet or his expres- 
sion to the people be considered. The form is entirely 
worthy of the superhuman content. 

2. The range of subject-matter is also very wide. 
Predictions are abundant and there is little repetition. 

If two or more prophets foretell the same event in a gen- 
eral way, each presents a different phase of the subject, 
each seems to see it from a different angle. Each, there- 
fore, adds his own individual contribution so as to make 
the picture more complete. All manner of subject-matter 
is embraced in the sweep. The fates and fortunes of 
cities, empires and peoples, and the deeds and destiny of 
individuals, are held up to view. Both king and peasant 
are caught in the focus of the prophetic telescope. Some- 
times the subject contracts to the words and deeds of in- 
dividual men, and then again it sweeps outward and 
embraces in its range the destiny of the race. The cur- 
tain that separates time from eternity is pulled aside and 
the limitless future lies revealed. The everlasting city, the 
eternal abode of the saints, with its foundations of precious 
stones and its jasper walls, with its pearly gates and its 
golden streets, with its river of life and evergreen trees, 
with its myriads of angels and its mansions of glory, with 
the bridegroom and the bride wedded in divorceless union, 
with the great white throne and seated thereon the ever- 
lasting Father ruling in peace and love the children of 
his creation and of his redeeming groce, all blend in one 
ravishing picture of delight. 

3. The range of time during which predictions were 
made is coextensive with that of prophecy in general. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 153 

Prediction began with the introduction of the human 
race. The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the 
serpent was the prophecy foreshadowing the perpetual 
conflict between right and wrong and the final victory for 
truth and virtue. The last prophetic words, uttered by 
the apostle John on Patmos, open up interminable vistas 
to our gaze. Throughout this long period predictions con- 
tinued to be uttered from time to time at intervals of vary- 
ing length. 

4. Finally we see that an immense sweep of time is 
contemplated in the fulfillment of many predictions. 

In some cases the range sweeps over vast ages. Some 
prophecies were fulfilled almost immediately, many within 
the lifetime of those uttering them, some reach out through 
centuries and millenniums for their fulfillment, and some 
are projected forward into that future that lies beyond 
the present dispensations of nature and grace and find 
fulfillment in the dispensation of glory to be revealed 
hereafter. In this fact we have an illustration of the 
truth that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and 
a thousand years as one day. 

But it would be impossible for us to even measurably 
appreciate the value, importance and dignity of predic- 
tive prophecy without giving some consideration to 

III. The Messianic Ideal Which Exhibits Its Highest 
Phase and Constitutes Its Crown of Glory. 
Both in form and content, prophecy rises in regular 
gradation or rank, Beginning with the dream, it passes 
upward in form through vision and spiritual illumination, 
culminating in direct prophecy In content the same 
gradation appears. Events of varying degrees of import- 
ance are predicted, reaching the highest point in the great 
Messianic ideal which contemplates a mo less glorious 



154 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

consummation than the salvation of the race through the 
Messiah. The prophetic vision as a whole sweeps upward 
and outward until a redeemed world lies beneath its 
gaze. Each prophet adds something to the general pros- 
pect, contributes some segment to the wide circle until a 
picture of complete and wondrous beauty is perfected. 
This prospect owes not its beauty to any single prophet or 
group of prophets, or to the contributions of any single 
age. The prophecies that reveal it are separated by wide 
intervals of time, but yet they never contradict each other, 
but, on the contrary, fit together with marvelous accuracy. 
All forms of Old Testament literature contribute to the 
general result. The historical, poetical and prophetic 
books are all saturated with the Divine ideal, and by it all 
are welded into one harmonious whole, while co-ordinate 
with it is brought into view the conflict of the Messianic 
kingdom with the opposing powers of darkness and the 
final doom of the ungodly. The brightness of this pic- 
ture appears all the more glorious from the dark back- 
ground of sin upon which it is projected. The blessed- 
ness of the salvation is more fully revealed by the awful 
damnation to which sin leads as its inevitable result, 
save for the grace of God. 

An orderly discussion of this branch of the subject de- 
mands that we consider 

1. The meaning of the word "Messiah." 
Literally it means an anointed one. It was the custom 
to anoint persons to office. This was the formal initiatory 
rite which indicated that the authority and dignity of the 
office, whatever it might be, was thus placed upon the 
individual. It was the outward sign of official or func- 
tional authority. The ceremony was performed in Israel 
in inducting persons into the three great offices of au- 
thority, prophet, priest and king. The Messiah was there- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 155 

fore God's anointed one — he to whom were given the three 
great offices of authority in the new and final dispensa- 
tion, in all their fullness and completeness. He is the one 
great prophet who spoke out of the completeness of his 
own knowledge of Divine things. Others spoke concern- 
ing him, or of the things pertaining to his kingdom, but 
he who had been with the Father from the beginning took 
of the things of the Father and revealed them unto us. 
In him dwelt all the fullness of God. He is the one great 
High Priest whose offering was efficacious for the cleans- 
ing of sin. He is the one great King to whom all au- 
thority is committed, and who will reign until all enemies 
of his kingdom are subdued. He is the Messiah of God, 
the prophet, priest and king of the dispensation of su- 
preme grace. 

2. The origin and gradual unfolding of the Messianic 
idea constitutes a subject of interest and importance. 

From the days of the apostles the church of Christ has 
traced its antecedent preparation to the institution that 
preceded it called Judaism. It has claimed to be the ful- 
fillment of that which w T as foreshadowed in the history, 
type and prophecy of the Old Testament. It has claimed 
to be the true Israel of God and as such it has appro- 
priated the prophecies and promises pertaining to the spir- 
itual nation, and it has held that the hopes of the fleshly 
seed are alone to be realized in the universal kingdom es- 
tablished on earth by the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, and 
his chosen apostles. In the very beginning of the Chris- 
tian system it pointed back to the Old Dispensation, con- 
necting itself therewith as its logical and predetermined 
successor. It appealed to notions and ideas widely preva- 
lent concerning a coming Messiah and the establishment of 
a kingdom, although the nature of both was utterly mis- 
understood. In fact, it claimed to be the answer to a 



156 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

general Messianic expectancy that existed not only in Is- 
rael, but in a less definite way among other nations. The 
apostle Peter, in his memorable sermon on the first Pente- 
cost after Christ's resurrection, connected the events then 
witnessed with the prophecies of the Old Testament, and 
from this time onward it was the custom of the apostles 
of Christ in their sermons to identify Jesus Christ as 
the promised and expected Messiah of the Jews, and his 
kingdom as the looked-for kingdom of God for which they 
so patiently waited. That the truth of these claims was 
strenuously opposed by the ardent Jews of the time is not 
denied, but it is a remarkable fact that the expectation of 
a coming Messiah and Messianic kingdom assumed by the 
apostles was not disputed. This proves beyond question 
that such expectation existed and that it was deep and 
earnest. This wonderful expectancy, which was so help- 
ful in the founding of the church, was the product of a 
long and slow growth. Its beginnings lie far back in the 
early teachings given to the elect nation, yea, in the very 
first prophetic utterances delivered to mankind. In type 
it was seen in the person of the first Adam. Slowly it 
grew from age to age; clearer and clearer the idea was 
revealed; more abundant and specific the prophetic utter- 
ances became until when the time was ripe for his appear- 
ing, there was a deep-seated conviction to which appeal 
could be made and with which the apostles ever sought 
to connect the Jesus of Nazareth whom they preached. 
The largeness of this Messianic conception among the Jews, 
at least from a theoretical standpoint, is very wonderful. 
Imagine the boundaries of Israel so extended as to em- 
brace all men; a King reigning in righteousness over this 
universal humanity, ransomed and redeemed, all moral 
defect removed, all discord and strife banished, and the 
white-robed angel of peace holding in fond embrace a re- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 157 

generated world, rejoicing in the common fatherhood of 
God — imagine all this, and the blessedness of the Mes- 
sianic ideal begins to appear. 

In no passage of Scripture is the largeness and beatific 
character of the Messianic hope more clearly revealed than 
in Isa. xi. 1-9: "And there shall come forth a shoot out 
of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall 
bear fruit : and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, 
the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of 
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the 
fear of the Lord; and his delight shall be in the fear of 
the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his 
eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but 
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove 
with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite 
the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath 
of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness 
shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle 
of his reins. And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and 
the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and 
the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child 
shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; 
their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion 
shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall 
play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall 
put his hand on the basilisk's den. They shall not hurt 
nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall 
be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover 
the sea." Cold indeed must be the heart that does not 
kindle with enthusiasm at such a prospect. Well might 
angelic choir celebrate the advent of the expected Mes- 
siah, the world's Redeemer, in the rapturous song, "Glory 
to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in 
whom he is well pleased," 



158 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

3. The completeness of the Messianic ideal is clearly 
seen by a consideration of the various phases of the Mes- 
sianic character and life as revealed in the Old Testament 
prophecies, and which exerted such a formative power in 
its development. 

(1) First of all the Messiah is prophetically revealed 
as prophet. Here we come in contact with man's first 
fundamental want. In this function he satisfies a vital 
need. Ignorance has been the blighting curse of our com- 
mon humanity and the fruitful cause of all our w r oes. 
Herein lies the explanation of sin, and consequently its 
cure lies first of all in instruction. In the beginning God 
said, "Let there be light, " and this word applied in an 
intellectual, moral and spiritual sense unfolds the secret 
of God's dealings with man from the beginning onward, 
and it is declared to be the very essence of the life eternal, 
for we read, "This is life eternal, that they should know 
thee, the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, 
even Jesus Christ." Owing, then, to the primary and 
most important nature of the function, we may expect it 
to be very clearly set forth both in prophecy and in its 
fulfillment. In Isa. xi. 1-3, quoted above, the fundamen- 
tal qualities of the teacher are forcibly set forth. 

In Isa. lxi. 1-3 we read: "The spirit of the Lord God 
is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach 
good tidings unto the meek ; he hath sent me to bind up the 
broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the 
opening of the prison to them that are bound ; to proclaim 
the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance 
of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto 
them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for 
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise 
for the spirit of heaviness ; that they might be called trees 
of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 159 

be glorified.' ' Jesus applies this passage to himself, and 
it reveals the function of teacher in its practical exercise 
and most beneficent results. Isaiah also calls him "Coun- 
sellor," a term indicative of wisdom and understanding. 

The prophetic function of the Messiah is also foretold 
in Deut. xviii. 18, 19 : "I will raise them up a prophet from 
among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my 
words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all 
that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, 
that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he 
shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." 

As Moses was conspicuous among the prophets of the 
Old Dispensation, so Christ is pre-eminently the prophet 
of the New. He boldly claimed for himself the pre-emi- 
nence in the exercise of this function. It was freely ac- 
corded to him by men of his own time, and it has been 
gladly acknowledged by all reverent students of his teach- 
ings in all the ages that have intervened, even down to 
the present time ; yea, perhaps it never was so willingly 
and cheerfully conceded as it is to-day, even by the wisest 
and best of mankind. 

(2) The second great office that Christ exercised 
and that found its full and complete expression in him 
was that of High Priest. In this function, also, a great 
fundamental necessity is met and satisfied. This office 
provides for a vital and continuous want. How shall the 
chasm, recognized and felt, between 1 man and his Maker 
be bridged over? Who shall stand as the "daysman" 
between man and God and lay his hand on both? Who 
shall appear in the Holy of Holies in the immediate, not 
in the symbolic presence of God, with an offering effica- 
cious for the cleansing of sin? There was only one of all 
earth's millions able to perform this duty, Jesus, the 
Messiah, our great High Priest, and in this capacity he 



160 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

stands out prominent in the prophetic writings. In Zech. 
vi. 12, 13 we read: "And speak unto him, saying, Thus 
speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose 
name is the Branch ; and he shall grow up out of his place, 
and he shall build the temple of the Lord: even he shall 
build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, 
and shall sit and rule upon his throne ; and he shall be a 
priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be 
between them both. " Here, in addition to the function 
just referred to, the other two great offices of authority 
are clearly indicated, thus showing that the promised 
Messiah would combine in himself the three great func- 
tions through which man's fundamental necessities are 
met. The Psalmist David also prophetically points out the 
priestly function of the Messiah (Ps. ex. 4), "The Lord 
hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest forever 
after the order of Melchizedek. ' ' 

In that wonderful fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, Christ 
is represented in the priestly function of intercessor and 
also as victim. Verse 12 reads, "Therefore will I divide 
him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil 
with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto 
death: and was numbered with the transgressors; yet 
he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the 
transgressors. ' ' Truly this is a most gracious function in 
behalf of sinful man. 

As victim he stands out very prominent in this chap- 
ter. In verses 4-10 we read: "Surely he hath borne our 
griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him 
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was 
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our 
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; 
and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have 
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 161 

and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He 
was oppressed, yet he humbled himself and opened not 
his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as 
a sheep that before her shearers is dumb ; yea, he opened 
not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken 
away; and as for his generation, who among them con- 
sidered that he was cut off out of the land of the living? 
for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And 
they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich 
in his deat 1 " : although he had done no violence, neither 
was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to 
bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt 
make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he 
shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall 
prosper in his hand." 

No language could be clearer on this point. He was a 
victim. He was made an offering for sin. On him was 
laid our iniquities, He was wounded for our transgres- 
sions. Whether we can understand the necessity or com- 
prehend the deep underlying philosophy or not, yet here 
the fact is clearly and unambiguously foretold and the 
fulfillment in the sufferings and death of Christ was so 
striking and the agreements so close in all circumstantial 
details that to doubt the prophetic character of the lan- 
guage is impossible. And yet is it not strange that the 
priest should also be a victim? If at first sight this seems 
to be inexplicable, a moment's reflection reveals its entire 
conformity to the demands of the case as it is presented 
in the sacred writings. Sin is declared to be a moral mal- 
ady of such serious and far-reaching consequences that 
only an infinite sacrifice could make expiation. That this 
view of sin is correct we can well believe when we look 
at its awful, withering, blighting effects as seen even in 
this world. As viewed from this standpoint, we can see 



162 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

that the consequences may well be eternal and demand, 
therefore, an infinite sacrifice as a ground of atonement. 
The apostle, therefore, declares that it was impossible for 
the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. All the 
blood that flowed on Jewish altars never actually took 
away a single sin. There was a remembrance of sin made 
again every year. Some victim must be found whose 
blood would be efficacious. God had such a victim in mind 
as a part of his eternal purpose. Jesus Christ was the 
victim. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world. He was the one whose blood would be effica- 
cious for the actual removing of sin, as was typified in the 
scapegoat on whom symbolically sins were laid to be 
borne into the land of forgetfulness. Therefore the 
prophet Jeremiah declares this superlative blessing of the 
new covenant in the words, "I will forgive their iniquity, 
and their sin will I remember no more." 

(3) As all true exaltation must rest upon the founda- 
tion of humility, meekness and patient preparation; as 
the cross must always precede the crown; so Christ, 
having been made perfect through suffering, received the 
crown of dominion and glory. He embodied in himself 
the third great function of authority, thus fully meeting 
in his own wonderful personality the three fundamental 
wants of man — instruction, pardon, government. This 
office, like the two preceding functions, was abundantly 
foretold in the Old Testament prophecies, and the fervent 
descriptions given of the Messianic King and kingdom 
created such extravagant expectations of glory, power and 
dominion that the meek and lowly Nazarene was not 
recognized as the mighty King for whom the Jewish nation 
longingly waited. This fact Isaiah points out in the fifty- 
third chapter (referred to), verses 1, 2: "Who hath 
believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 163 

Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him as a 
tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground : he hath 
no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is 
no beauty that we should desire him. " Christ, knowing 
the nature of their expectations, declared: "The kingdom 
of God cometh not with observation. ' ' And yet because 
it did not come with pageantry, pomp and display it none 
the less justified the glowing descriptions of it given by 
Israel's prophets, and the King more than warrants the 
picture of surpassing beauty that they painted of him. 
Mic. v. 2 foretells the birthplace of the Messianic King; 
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, which art little to be 
among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come 
forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings 
forth are from old, from everlasting. ' ' 

Ps. xxiv. 7-10 tells of his return to heaven and his 
triumphal entry into the eternal city: "Lift up your 
heads, ye gates ; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors : 
and the King of glory shall come in. "Who is the King 
of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty 
in battle. Lift up your heads, ye gates : yea, lift them 
up, ye everlasting doors : and the King of glory shall come 
in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he 
is the King of glory." Ps. ex. 1 tells of his being seated 
on the throne: "The Lord saith unto my lord, Sit thou 
at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot- 
stool." Jer. xxx. 9 speaks of the service to be rendered 
him by his willing subjects: "They shall serve the Lord 
their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up 
uu to them." 

Isa. ix. 6, 7 foretells the marvelous endowments of 
the Messianic King and the eternal nature of his king- 
dom: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is 
given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 



164 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, 
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of 
the increase of his government and of peace there shall 
be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his king- 
dom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and 
with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The 
zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this." 

Isa. xxxiii. 22 contemplates the King as lawgiver: 
"For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, 
the Lord is our king; he will save us." The King is 
also set forth as exercising the functions of judge. Isa. 
ii. 4 not only presents this phase of his work, but brings 
before us a soul-thrilling picture of the universal peace 
that would obtain under his judicial authority: "And 
he shall judge between the nations, and shall reprove 
many peoples : and they shall beat their swords into plow- 
shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks : nation shall 
not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn 
war any more." 

Isa. xi. 1-4 calls to view his qualifications for the office 
and the righteous character of his judgments: "And 
there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, 
and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit: and the 
spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom 
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the 
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and his 
delight shall be in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not 
judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after 
the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he 
judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of 
the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of 
his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay 
the wicked." Isaiah speaks to the same intent in chap. 
xvi. 15: "And a throne shall be established / in mercy, 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 165 

and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David; 
judging, and seeking judgment, and swift to do righteous- 
ness." 

But perhaps there is no more gracious unfolding of 
this function than is given in Isa. xlii. 1-4: "Behold my 
servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul 
delighteth : I have put my spirit upon him ; he shall bring 
forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor 
lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A 
bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall 
he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment in truth. 
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judg- 
ment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law." 
Here we behold him approved by Jehovah, upheld by his 
power and endowed by his spirit, exercising judgment 
in meekness and mercy with the assurance of ultimate 
victory. 

The New Testament gives abundant emphasis to the 
legislative and judicial functions of the Messianic King. 
On the mount of transfiguration the Father declared, 
"This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." Jesus in the 
most positive way appropriated to himself the office. Re- 
peating the commands of the Decalogue, he declared his 
words to be of equal binding authority: "Ye have heard 
that it was said to them of olden time, Thou shalt not 
kill, . . . but I say unto you, that every one who is 
angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judg- 
ment." "Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt 
not commit adultery, but I say unto you, that every one 
that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed 
adultery with her already in his heart." 

In his commission He said, "Go teach all nations, bap- 
tizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy 
Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 



166 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

have commanded you." "Ye are my friends if ye do 
whatsoever I command you." "He that heareth these 
sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto 
a wise man that built his house upon a rock. ' ' The apostles 
were equally clear in their teaching on this point. "I 
charge thee in the sight of God and of Jesus Christ, who 
shall judge the quick and the dead." "Who shall give 
account to him that is ready to judge the quick and 
dead." "One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he 
who is able to save and to destroy." Much more might 
be adduced from the language of Christ and his apostles 
to the same intent, but it is unnecessary. It is perfectly 
clear that the prophecies concerning the Messianic King 
in the exercise of the functions of lawgiver and judge 
were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, which fact was fully 
recognized by Christ and his apostles. 

Another most gracious function of the Messianic 
King foretold by prophets and recognized and accepted 
by Christ was that of shepherd. Isaiah says (chap. xl. 
10, 11) : "Behold, the Lord God will come as a mighty 
one, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his re- 
ward is with him, and his recompence before him. He 
shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the 
lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and 
shall gently lead those that give suck." What more gra- 
cious words could be spoken? Micah also points out 
this office in chap. v. 4: "And he shall stand, and shall 
feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty 
of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall abide; 
for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth." 

This poor, lost, sin-cursed world needs a tender shep- 
herd's care. No function of the Messiah meets a deeper 
or more pressing want, and it is a most inspiring thing 
to know that Jesus accepted this most loving service. He 






HEBREW PROPHECY. 167 

declared, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd 
layeth down his life for the sheep." "I am the good shep- 
herd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me." 
" Other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them 
also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and 
they shall become one flock, one shepherd.' ' 

The apostles bear testimony on this wise: "Now the 
God of peace who brought again from the dead the great 
shepherd of the sheep." "For ye were going astray like 
sheep ; but are now returned unto the shepherd and Bishop 
of your souls." "And when the chief shepherd shall be 
manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that f adeth 
not away." The king acting in the capacity of shepherd 
is certainly a most beneficent doctrine. It is very as- 
suring to know that we have a King who has all power; 
it is very inspiring to know that he has infinite wisdom; 
it is most blessed to know that his commands are righteous 
and his judgments just, but it is inexpressibly comfort- 
ing to know that he is a gentle, loving shepherd who will 
lead his sheep into green pastures and bear even the 
little lambs tenderly in his bosom. His functions of 
power and authority inspire our confidence, but his func- 
tion of gentle shepherding wins our love. 

(4) There is one other feature of the Messianic life 
which, although not a separate function co-ordinate with 
prophet, priest and king, was so characteristic of the 
Christ life and received such peculiar emphasis in his 
teaching that it deserves special consideration. In the 
Messianic prophecies the suffering servant stands out very 
prominent. Isaiah, in pointing forward to the Messiah, 
uses the word "servant" as the first term of description, 
"Behold my servant whom I uphold." In the begin- 
ning of the fifty-third chapter, already quoted, his suf- 
ferings are especially emphasized, and in the eleventh 



168 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

verse he says, "By his knowledge shall my righteous ser- 
vant justify many/' In Ps. xxii. 1 we read, "My God, my 
God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This language was 
quoted by Jesus on the cross and doubtless was caused 
by the agony of separation from God when the sins of 
the world were laid upon him, thus, in accepting this 
burden, performing for us the greatest possible service. 
In Zech. xii. 10 we read: "And I will pour upon the 
house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
the spirit of grace and of supplication: and they shall 
look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall 
mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall 
be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for 
his firstborn." This clearly refers to the sufferings of 
Christ on the cross, and in chap. xiii. 7 he is referred 
to as the smitten shepherd, "Awake, sword, against 
my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, 
saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the 
sheep shall be scattered." This passage was quoted by 
Jesus and applied to himself. Suffering servant is 
therefore a very prominent feature of the Messianic life 
as viewed from the standpoint of prophecy, and it is 
strikingly prominent from the standpoint of fulfillment. 
Christ declared, "I came down from heaven, not to 
do mine own will, but the will of him who sent me. " "I 
seek not my own will, but the will of him that sent me." 
The writer of Hebrews declared, "Though he was a Son, 
yet learned he obedience by the things he suffered." 
Paul, in Phil. ii. 5-9, said: "Have this mind in you, 
which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form 
of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with 
God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, 
being made in the likeness of men; and being found 
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedi- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 169 

ent even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Where- 
fore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the 
name which is above every name." Jesus taught his dis- 
ciples that gradation in rank was conditioned on ability 
to serve, and that the highest place belonged to the ser- 
vant of all, and he bestows his rewards at last upon the 
"good and faithful servant.' ' The apostles caught the 
spirit from their Master, and it was their pride to declare 
themselves to be the servants of Christ, and they recog- 
nized that this duty was performed best in rendering 
service to men. 

But the word "suffering/' in this connection, is em- 
phatic. It is the suffering servant that is the efficient, 
profitable servant. It is the servant w r ho never counts the 
cost that really enters into the domain of service, other- 
wise the word is void of meaning. The patriot is the 
servant of his country, but if his service stops at the 
point of suffering he never touches the highest duty, but 
forfeits even the name "patriot." The mother is the 
servant of her children, but if she stops at the point of 
suffering she does not really serve, but shows that she is 
not even a true mother. No man can be a real servant of 
his fellow-men who stops at the point of suffering. It 
is suffering that gives to the service its stamp of genuine- 
ness and lifts it up and marks it as a sacred, divine 
thing. Even the highest service of God is marked by 
suffering. "God so loved the world that he gave his 
only begotten Son." Christ, therefore, as the highest ex- 
pression of the divine idea of servant, was the suffering 
servant, and so he stands out, in prophecy in the Old 
Testament, and in history in the New. 

4. The Messianic kingdom occupied a large place in 
the prophetic vision, and constitutes a very necessary 
part of the Messianic ideal. 



170 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

In extent it overleaps all barriers, and embraces the 
whole world in its purpose. All race and national barriers 
are swept away, all class lines are broken down. The unit 
of greatness is the individual soul, all are children of 
the King. The kingdom potentially extends "from sea to 
sea and from the river to the ends of the earth," and 
by faith we see it as an accomplished fact. It is declared 
that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord 
as the waters cover the sea." The little stone cut out 
without hands is to become "a great mountain and fill 
the whole earth." The King, it is declared, "shall not 
fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment in the 
earth, and the isles shall wait for his law." Such is 
the sweep of the prophetic vision. 

The blessings of the kingdom as portrayed in prophecy 
leave nothing to be desired. All that heart can wish or 
imagination picture are freely promised. Under the New 
Covenant there was to be actual remission of sins rather 
than prospective, as under the Old. There was to be full- 
ness of knowledge and perfect justice and equity. There 
was to be perfect peace and harmony. The lion and the 
lamb were to lie down together. All war was to be done 
away and men were to beat their spears into pruning- 
hooks. The lowly were to be exalted and the proud 
brought low, the crooked made straight and the rough 
smooth, and nothing, it was declared, should hurt or de- 
stroy in all God's holy mountain. God's wisdom was to 
be vindicated, his righteousness justified, his goodness 
manifested, and his love magnified in the redemption, 
purification, exaltation and glorification of man through 
the life, death, resurrection and glorification of Christ 
and the triumph of his kingdom. 

All this is being abundantly fulfilled in the dispen- 
sation of Christ. The bright visions disclosed to the 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 171 

prophets of the Old Dispensation are now becoming actual 
realities, and Christian faith leaps forward to grasp the 
final great consummation when the New Jerusalem 
shall descend from God, having the glory of God, being 
lighted by his presence; when the nations shall walk in 
the light of it and bring their glory and honor into it, 
and when there shall not enter into it anything unclean 
or that maketh an abomination and a lie, but the re- 
deemed of the Lord in righteousness and true holiness 
shall dwell securely in his presence. 

A summary of the important features of the Messianic 
ideal may be readily made up from the Messianic pass- 
ages quoted. There is disclosed to us: 

First, a wonderful King: Divine in nature, super- 
naturally endowed, superhuman, pre-existent, eternal, 
exercising the three great functions of authority — proph- 
ecy, priesthood, royalty — in their highest possible mani- 
festations, yet possessed of the utmost humility, being 
kind, gentle, loving, the servant of all; in short, com- 
bining in himself the widest extremes, reaching up to the 
highest dignity, authority and power in the universe, and 
reaching down to the lowest plane of sorrow, suffering 
and unselfish service. 

Second, a wonderful Kingdom: Existent in the mind 
of God from eternity, foreshadowed in type and symbol 
through centuries and millenniums, supernatural in char- 
acter, advancing in extent from the Davidic realm to all 
the world, overcoming and breaking in pieces all hostile 
powers, ruling through inward principles and not by 
outward restrictions, destroying the idea of holy places 
and sacred buildings by making every place where the 
human heart goes out -toward God a sacred place. Con- 
quering every enemy of man, even destroying death and 
bringing in everlasting life and joy — in short, a kingdom 



172 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

that may be described as eternal in duration; universal 
in extent; offering the blessings of peace to all; giving 
health and long life here and eternal life beyond; ex- 
tending to its subjects liberty, intelligence, security and 
happiness; securing universal purity, righteousness, jus- 
tice and kindness; showing forth gentleness, helpfulness 
and faithfulness ; exhibiting ever-increasing brightness 
and splendor ; permeated with the spirit of piety and true 
worship; everywhere and always glorifying God by the 
perfect service of man for man here, and the full reali- 
zation of the Divine purpose hereafter; progressively 
realizing its lofty mission on earth and reaching at last 
its sublime destiny in the world to come by the final de- 
struction of sin and the reign of everlasting righteousness. 

IV. A Few Examples of Fulfilled Predictions 
Will Serve as a Fitting Close to This Chapter. 
To point out all the instances of prophecy fulfilled 
in the history of Israel and surrounding nations would 
far transcend the limits of a single chapter, much more a 
single division of a chapter. A whole volume might well 
be devoted to such a task. The predictions concerning 
nations and peoples and cities and individuals are ex- 
ceedingly numerous and specific. The specifications are 
not only general, but also very minute and circumstan- 
tial, thus precluding the possibility of mere coincidence 
in fulfillment and placing them entirely beyond the reach 
of shrewd human forecast based on the law of cause and 
effect. The predictive prophecies, as we have seen, are of 
two classes, first, those that relate to the concerns of the 
fleshly Israel and to the temporal fates and fortunes 
of nations and peoples in general; second, those that 
find fulfillment in the spiritual Israel, constituting as 
it does the embodiment and realization of God's gracious 






HEBREW PROPHECY. US 

plans and purposes. It will be entirely sufficient for our 
general purpose to cite a few examples of fulfilled 
predictions showing the specific details of the predic- 
tions and the very complete agreement of the fulfill- 
ment, thus demonstrating beyond the possibility of a 
doubt the superhuman character of the prediction and 
consequently showing the inspirational factor in the Scrip- 
tures. 

This is pre-eminently an age of research and investi- 
gation. The foundations of everything are being care- 
fully examined. All doctrines and theories are being cast 
aside if not supported by clearly ascertained facts. Noth- 
ing is so sacred as to escape the assaults of modern criti- 
cism. It is no longer a question of what did the fathers 
believe, what have great men held and taught, but what 
are the actual facts and what do they justify us in be- 
lieving. That this is so need give us no alarm. The 
world has never been saved by error, no matter how sacred 
it may appear to have been, and truth has never suffered 
at the hands of honest investigation. If its foundations 
are sure, no opposition can overthrow it. There never 
was a time better adapted to the investigation of the 
claims on which the Bible rests than the present. There 
never was a time when mere authority and tradition had 
as little, and facts had as much, weight as at the present 
time. Is the Bible God's voice to man? Can its claims be 
demonstrated? We unhesitatingly give an affirmative an- 
swer to these questions, and we introduce the following 
instances of fulfilled predictions as a small fraction of 
the overwhelming proof of like character that might be 
adduced : 

1. The prophecies uttered against Nineveh furnish 
a clear and striking example of fulfilled predictions. 



174 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

We will, for the sake of clearness and conciseness, 
make the following divisions: 

(a) Who prophesied: (1) Nahum, who wrote after 
the deportation of the ten tribes while the Assyrian power 
was still unbroken. He wrote, according to some authori- 
ties, from 742-712 B. C. The latest date that is claimed 
for him by even rationalistic writers is 667-680 B. C. 
Nineveh was not destroyed until about 625 B. C, or pos- 
sibly a little later, thus making the date of the prophecy 
full fifty years before the events occurred and possibly as 
much as one hundred years. (2) Zephaniah, who prophe- 
sied in the reign of Josiah not later than 640-630 B. C, 
and consequently some years before the destruction of 
Nineveh. (3) Isaiah, a prophet of Judah who prophesied 
during a period of fifty or sixty years, beginning, as 
stated in a previous lecture, fully 150 years before the 
captivity. He predicted the destruction of Assyria (chap- 
ters x. and xiv.), although not mentioning Nineveh, the 
capital. 

In the predictions of these prophets there is an illus- 
tration of the principle that there is complete unity and 
agreement in the prophecies. Isaiah foretold the over- 
throw of Assyria. Nahum foretold the destruction of 
Nineveh, the capital. Years rolled by, but the overthrow 
foretold did not come to pass. There was no sign of ful- 
fillment discoverable. Then Zephaniah came forward and 
risked his reputation by predicting the same thing. 

(b) Against whom the prophecies were delivered: 
Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, one of the greatest cities 
the world has ever seen. Diodorus Siculus states that its 
circuit was 480 furlongs, or about sixty miles. Its walls 
were 100 feet high and so broad that three chariots could 
drive abreast on the top. It had 1,500 towers scattered 
at intervals along the walls, each 200 feet high. No city 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 175 

in the world to-day is comparable in size or strength. 
Making due allowance for exaggerations growing out of 
uncertain tradition, it was doubtless a very wonderful 
city. There was no human probability that it would be 
taken and destroyed. Physically, its people are described 
as strong, and indifferent to suffering, and they, it is said, 
possessed great courage. In them the brute part of man's 
nature was wonderfully developed. In character they are 
described as very wicked and violent, exalting themselves 
and taking delight in oppression and wrong. Sennacherib 
was a mighty conqueror, having taken in one expedition 
seventy-nine strong cities and 820 small towns, carrying 
away captive multiplied thousands of prisoners who were 
employed in constructing the buildings and walls of his 
wonderful capital. 

(c) The prophecies uttered: (1) Nah. i. 8-10: "The 
burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the 
Elkoshite. . . . But with an overrunning flood he will 
make a full end of the place thereof, and will pursue his 
enemies into darkness. What do ye imagine against the 
Lord? he will make a full end: affliction shall not rise up 
the second time. For though they be like tangled thorns, 
and be drenched as it were in their drink, they shall be 
devoured utterly as dry stubble." 

(2) Nah. ii. 6-10: "The gates of the rivers are opened, 
and the palace is dissolved. And Huzzab is uncovered, she 
is carried away, and her handmaids mourn as with the 
voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts. But Nineveh 
hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee 
away; stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back. Take 
ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is 
none end of the store, the glory of all pleasant furniture. 
She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, 



176 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

and the knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, 
and the faces of them all are waxed pale. " 

(3) Nah. iii. 1-7: "W]oe to the bloody city! it is all 
full of lies and rapine; the prey departeth not. The noise 
of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels; and 
prancing horses, and jumping chariots; the horseman 
mounting, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear ; 
and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of carcases : and 
there is none end of the corpses; they stumble upon their 
corpses : because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the 
well favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that sell- 
eth nations through her whoredoms, and families through 
her witchcrafts. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord 
of hosts, and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face ; and 
I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms 
thy shame. And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and 
make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock. And 
it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee 
shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who 
will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?" 

(4) Nah. iii. 13-15: "Behold, thy people in the midst 
of thee are women; the gates of thy land are set wide 
open unto thine enemies: the fire hath devoured thy bars. 
Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses: 
go into the clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the 
brickkiln. There shall the fire devour thee ; the sword shall 
cut thee off, it shall devour thee like the cankerworm: 
make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many 
as the locust." 

(5) Nah. iii. 18, 19: "Thy shepherds slumber, king 
of Assyria: thy worthies are at rest: thy people are 
scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather 
them. There is no assuaging of thy hurt; thy wound is 
grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee clap the hands 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 177 

over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed 
continually ? ' ' 

(6) Zeph. ii. 13-15: "And he will stretch out his hand 
against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make 
Nineveh a isolation, and dry like the wilderness. And 
herds shall iaO down in the midst of her, all the beasts 
of the nations: both the pelican and the porcupine shall 
lodge in the chapiters thereof: their voice shall sing in the 
windows ; desolation shall be in the thresholds : for he hath 
laid bare the cedar work. This is the joyous city that 
dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am [this is the 
title applied to God], and there is none else beside me: 
how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie 
down in ! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag 
his hand. " 

(d) The specifications embraced in the prophecies 
quoted are numerous; we select the following: (1) The de- 
struction will be complete. (2) The overflow will take 
place while the people are drunk. (3) The destruction 
will be accomplished, in part at least, by the agency of 
water. (4) Fire will also have a part in the overthrow. 
(5) Much spoil shall be found. (6) The palace shall be 
destroyed. (7) The destruction will be final and there 
shall be no rebuilding of the city. The wound shall not 
be healed. (8) The very site shall not be known, at least 
for a time. Other specifications can be singled out and 
shown to have been fulfilled, but these are sufficient. 

(e) The fulfillments of the specifications are very com- 
plete* (1) As to the completeness of the overthrow there 
is abundant testimony, as the following quotations will 



Tor the testimony here introduced see Smith's Bible Dictior 
ary, Schaff-Herzog's Encyclopaedia, Fausset's Bible Cyclopaedia 
Kitto's Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, Hastings' " Infidel Testi- 
mony Concerning the Truth of the Bible,' ' 



178 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

show: "The mounds (ruins of Nineveh) show neither 
bricks, stones nor other materials of building; but are in 
many places overgrown with grass' ' (Buckingham's Trav- 
els in Mesopotamia, vol. ii., p. 49). "Eastward of the Ti- 
gris, at the end of the bridge of Mesul, the great Nineveh 
had been erected; the city and even the ruins had long 
since disappeared'' (Gibbon's Hist., vol. viii., pp. 250, 
251). "Where are those ramparts of Nineveh?" also 
"The name Nineveh seems to be threatened with the same 
oblivion that has overtaken its greatness" (Volney's Bums, 
chaps. 2 and 4). 

Xenophon describes the ruins of Nineveh; Alexander 
marched over its ruins. Lucian, two centuries after Christ, 
declared that Nineveh had perished and that no trace was 
left to tell where it was. Gibbon says that the emperor 
Heraclius defeated the Persians on the vacant site of 
Nineveh. John Cartwright visited the ruins in the six- 
teenth century and said it was nothing else than a sepul- 
chre of herself. Recent researches in the Orient have dis- 
covered these ruins, and the secrets are in some degree 
being unearthed. 

From these quotations we gather that the overthrow 
was so complete that gradually the very site was lost and 
remained unknown for ages. 

(2) Bearing on the second specification we introduce 
the testimony of Diodorus, who lived in the first century 
before Christ. He traveled extensively and gathered ma- 
terial for a universal history. He says that the King of 
Assyria marched against the combined forces of Babylon 
and Media and defeated them in three successive battles. 
Flushed with victory, they gave themselves over to drunk- 
enness. The final assault was made during a drinking bout 
of king and courtiers. 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 179 

(3) The testimony as to the fulfillment of the third 
specification is very clear. Diodorus says that there was 
an old tradition that the city could not be taken until the 
river became its enemy. In the third year of the siege the 
river, swollen by a flood, overflowed a part of the city 
and threw down a section of the wall, through which the 
enemy entered. Another account states that there was a 
floodgate at the northwest angle of the city which was 
swept away, and the water, pouring into the city, dissolved 
the palace foundation of sun-dried bricks, thus agreeing ac- 
curately with Nahum's statement, "The gates of the rivers 
are opened and the palace is dissolved." This was a 
most unlikely thing to predict. For centuries the city had 
stood uninjured by flood, yet the prophet boldly declares 
this unlikely thing, and behold it comes to pass. 

(4) The fourth specification, concerning the agency 
of fire in the destruction, is also verified. Recent excava- 
tions show that Nineveh was destroyed, in part at least, by 
fire. Calcined alabaster, charred wood, colossal statutes 
split with heat, are found. Thus, after the lapse of twenty- 
five hundred years, witnesses arise testifying to the truth 
of Bible prophecy. The gate in the northern wall was de- 
stroyed by fire, and most of the edifices discovered had been 
destroyed in the same way. 

(5) Concerning the fifth specification Diodorus says 
that Arbaces, one of the conquerors, carried away many 
talents of gold and silver, and history also records the 
fact that large treasures were carried to Babylon and 
Agbatana, the capital of Media. The statement is also 
made that the treasures accumulated by many kings were 
rifled. 

(6) Concerning the destruction of the palace, history 
says that Saracus, the last king, Esarhaddon's grandson, 
when he heard that the wall was thrown down imagined 



180 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

that the ancient tradition was now accomplished, the river 
having become an enemy, and, casting aside all hope of 
safety, built a large funeral pyre in the palace, and, to- 
gether with his family and valuables, was consumed by 
fire. 

(7) The seventh specification is certainly very bold 
and risky from the purely human standpoint. It were 
a very unlikely thing that such a city would remain in 
ruins, even if destroyed. It was apparently needed for 
purposes of commerce with the north. It was on the 
main thoroughfare northward; the route farther east was 
far more difficult and less used. Naturally in a spot so 
favored there would spring up another city, but Nahum 
boldly declared its overthrow and perpetual desolation, 
and it came literally to pass as he had spoken. The 
people were scattered as he said, never to return, and the 
would was never healed. 

(8) Concerning the eighth specification it may be 
said that its truth is amply attested. Kitto says Strabo 
represents it as lying waste. Tacitus refers to a fort 
on the site which was probably a small fortification 
erected out of the ruins for predatory purposes. An- 
cient Greek writers long before Christ speak of it as 
a place long desolate. Gradually the very spot was lost 
and* remained so for many ages. 

In the fate of this great city, whose doom was so 
clearly depicted by the prophets of Jehovah, a great 
lesson is found which should not be overlooked. No 
amount of material strength and grandeur can guaran- 
tee safety and stability in the face of great sin and 
wickedness. Nineveh, the proud, haughty city, exalted 
herself against the Lord of hosts. In her wanton cruelty 
she set no bounds to her excesses. The king put out the 
eyes of his captives and dragged them through the streets 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 181 

by a hook inserted in the lip. He defied Jehovah and 
blasphemously compared him to the local deities of the 
country. No wickedness was too great; no riotous ex- 
cess too extreme. Plutarch says Sardanapalus directed 
a statue to be erected after his death representing him 
as a dancer, with the motto inscribed upon it, "Eat, 
drink, enjoy lust; . . . the rest is nothing." God sent 
Jonah to warn the wicked city, but the repentance was 
only temporary. Finally the cup of iniquity was full, the 
awful doom was pronounced, and the destruction came 
swift and sure. So it must and will ever be. The nation 
that exalts itself against God and despises the rights of 
men will finally perish. Such is the lesson of universal 
history. Righteousness is the only foundation of stable 
national life. 

The examples of fulfilled prophecies in the history 
of ancient nations and peoples are numerous and striking. 
Many interesting cases might be cited, but one additional 
instance must suffice. 

2. The fall of Babylon, the great and powerful city 
whose name lias become the synonym for corruption and 
wickedness, furnishes a very striking example of the 
detailed fulfillment of the predictions uttered against it. 

(a) Who prophesied: (1) Isaiah, who foretold the de- 
struction of Babylon 170 years or more before it occurred. 
At the time when the prophecy was uttered there were no 
outward indications of the awful doom predicted. Nine- 
veh was then at the meridian of its glory, and Babylon was 
the flourishing capital of Babylonia, a province under the 
government of the mighty Assyrian Empire. 

(2) Jeremiah, who stands among the Hebrew prophets 
a majestic and pathetic figure, prophesied of the overthrow 
of Babylon about fifty years before the event occurred. 
The seat of empire had been transferred to Babylon fully 



182 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

fifty years before the prophecies were uttered, and the 
strength and power of the city had been continually in the 
ascendency, with no sign of abatement. 

(6) Against whom the prophecies were uttered: Baby- 
lon, the great and mighty city that was and has never 
ceased to be the wonder of the world. It was built on both 
sides of the river Euphrates, covering an area according 
to conservative estimates of 100 square miles. This im- 
mense area was surrounded by walls varying in height, ac- 
cording to different authorities, from seventy-five to 300 
feet and the width varying from thirty to eighty-five feet. 
The wall, according to Ctesias, was strengthened by 250 
towers, and according to Herodotus it was pierced by 100 
gates of brass. Its magnificent buildings, royal residences 
and hanging gardens and other gigantic improvements 
made it the most wonderful city of the world, and perhaps 
its like has never been witnessed. No more improbable 
thing could have been uttered than the predictions of 
Isaiah and Jeremiah. For many years after the prophe- 
cies were uttered the strength and glory of the city con- 
tinued to increase. It seemed that the predictions must 
surely fail. More than one hundred years had passed since 
Isaiah had spoken, and the fulfillment seemed even more 
unlikely than when the prediction was made. Then Jere- 
miah comes forward at this most unlikely moment and 
joins his voice with that of Isaiah. Fifty years more pass 
by and the haughty, cruel city seems to enjoy increasing 
prosperity, but God had spoken through the mouths of his 
holy prophets, and the doom, though apparently delayed, 
was sure. 

(c) We turn next to a consideration of the prophecies: 
In the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Isaiah and in 
the fiftieth and fifty-first chapters of Jeremiah the over- 
throw of Babylon is graphically foretold. (These chapters 






HEBREW PROPHECY. 183 

should be read in this connection.) We note the follow- 
ing specifications and fulfillments : * 

(1) Babylon shall become heaps (Jer. 1. 26): "Come 
against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: 
cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing 
of her be left" 

Fulfillment: Babylon has become "a vast succession 
of mounds/ ' "a great mass of ruined heaps," "uneven 
heaps of various sizes. The larger ruins have the appear- 
ance of irregular and misshapen hills; the lesser form a 
succession of little hillocks' ' (Keppel, Porter, Rich, Mig- 
nan, etc.). "In seeking for bricks, the workmen pierce 
into the mound in every direction, hollowing out deep 
ravines and pits, and throwing up the rubbish in heaps 
on the surf ace' ' (Rich's Memoir, p. 22). 

(2) She shall be utterly destroyed: nothing will be 
left (lb.). 

Fulfillment: "From the excavations in every possible 
shape and direction, the regular lines of the original ruins 
have been so broken that nothing but confusion is seen to 
exist" (Sir R. K. Porter's Travels, Vol. it, p. 338). "Vast 
heaps constitute all that now remains of ancient Babylon" 
(Keppel's Narrative, Vol. i., p. 196). Some of the heaps 
are "completely exhausted of all building materials; and 
nothing is now left but heaps of earth and fragments of 
brick" (Mignan's Travels, pp. 199, 200; Porter's Travels, 
337, 356, etc.). 

(3) It shall never be inhabited, but shall remain deso- 
late and forsaken. Jer. 1. 13: "Because of the wrath 
of the Lord it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly 



*The following specifications and fulfillments have been collect- 
ed by H. L. Hastings, and I have taken them from his pamphlet 
entitled "The Witness of Skeptics to the Truth of the Bible, " vary- 
ing the arrangement somewhat to suit my purpose. 



184 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be aston- 
ished, and hiss at all her plagues. " Isa. xlvii. 5: "Sit 
thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the 
Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called The lady of 
kingdoms. " Jer. 1. 40: "As when God overthrew Sodom 
and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the 
Lord; so shall no man dwell there, neither shall any son 
of man sojourn therein." 

Fulfillment: "I am perfectly incapable of conveying 
an adequate idea," says Captain Mignan, "of the dreary, 
lonely nakedness that appeared before me" (p. 116). "A 
silent and sublime solitude, a silence as profound as the 
grave" (Porter's Travels, vol. ii., pp. 294, 407). "Babylon, 
the tenantless and desolate metropolis" (Mignan' s Travels, 
p. 234). "The eye wandered over a barren desert in which 
the ruins were nearly the only indication that it had been 
inhabited" (Keppel, p. 196). "Ruins composed, like those 
of Babylon, of heaps of rubbish impregnated with niter, 
can not be cultivated" (Rich's Memoirs, p. 16). "The de- 
composing materials of a Babylonian structure doom the 
earth on which they perish to a lasting sterility" (Sir R. K. 
Porter's Travels, vol. ii., p. 391). "In the sixteenth cen- 
tury there was not a house to be seen at Babylon" (Ray's 
Collection of Travels, Rawolf, p. 174). "In the nineteenth 
it is still 'desolate and tenantless' " (Mignan, p. 284). 

(4) It shall become pools of water: the sea shall come 
upon it. Isa. xiv. 23 : "I will also make it a possession for 
the porcupine, and pools of water : and I will sweep it with 
the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts. ' ' Jer. Ii. 
42 : "The sea is come up upon Babylon : she is covered with 
the multitude of the waves thereof. ' ' 

Fulfillment: "The ground is sometimes covered with 
pools of water in the hollows." "The plain is covered at 
intervals with small pools of water" (Buckingham's Trav- 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 185 

els in Mesopotamia, vol. ii., p. 296: Porter, Keppel, etc.). 
"For the space of two months throughout the year, the 
ruins of Babylon are inundated by the annual overflowing 
of the Euphrates' ' (Rich's Memoir, p. 13). 

(5) The nomadic tribes shall not pitch their tents there, 
nor shall shepherds make their folds there. Isa. xiii. 20: 
"It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in 
from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian 
pitch tent there ; neither shall shepherds make their flocks 
to lie down there.' ' 

Fulfillment: "I saw the sun sink behind the Mujelibah," 
says Captain Mignan, "and obeyed with infinite regret the 
summons of my guides' ' (Arabs completely armed). He 
"could not persuade them to remain longer, from the ap- 
prehension of evil spirits. It is impossible to eradicate this 
idea from the minds of these people" (Travels, pp. 2, 
198, 201, 235; Buckingham, etc.). "All the people of the 
country assert that it is extremely dangerous to approach 
this mound after nightfall, on account of the multitude of 
evil spirits by which it is haunted" (Rich's Memoir, p. 27). 
"By this superstitious belief they are prevented from pitch- 
ing a tent by night, or making a fold." 

(6) Wild beasts shall lie there. Their houses shall be 
full of doleful creatures. Ostriches (old version, "owls") 
shall dwell there. Satyrs (goats) shall dance there. Isa. 
xiii. 21: "But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; 
and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and 
ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there." 

Fulfillment : There are dens of wild beasts in various 
parts" (Rich's Memoir, p. 30; Porter, Keppel, Bucking- 
ham, etc.). These dens or caverns "are the retreat of jack- 
als, hyenas and other noxious animals." "The ' strong 
odure' or ' loathsome smell' which issues from most of them 
is sufficient warning not to proceed into the den" (Kep- 



186 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

pel's Narrative, p. 179, 180; Porter's Travels, vol. ii., p. 
342, etc.). "In the most of the cavities are numbers of 
bats and owls." "Thousands of bats and owls have filled 
many of these cavities' ' (Rich's Memoir, p. 30; Mignan's 
Travels, p. 167). "The caves' ' and "their entrances are 
strewed with bones of sheep and goats" (Mignan, p. 167; 
Porter, vol. ii., p. 342). 

(7) Wolves shall cry in the desolate homes and jackals 
(old version, "dragons") in their palaces. Isa. xiii. 22: 
"And wolves shall cry in their castles, and jackals in the 
pleasant palaces ; and her time is near to come, and her days 
shall not be prolonged." 

Fulfillment : "We had no doubt," says Major Keppel, 
"as to the savage nature of the inhabitants. Wild beasts 
are numerous at the Mujelibie," one of the largest of the 
heaps, supposed to have been the palace. "Venomous rep- 
tiles are very numerous throughout the ruins" (Mignan's 
Travels, p. 168). 

(8) Vegetation shall cease to flourish. Agriculture 
shall be abandoned. Jer. 1. 16: "Cut off the sower from 
Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of 
harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn 
every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to 
his own land." 

Fulfillment: "On this part of the plain, both where 
traces of buildings were left and where none had stood, all 
seemed equally naked of vegetation" (Porter's Travels, 
vol. ii., p. 392). "The eye wandered over a barren desert, 
in which the ruins were nearly the only indication that it 
had ever been inhabited" (Keppel' s Narrative, p. 196). 

(9) The whole country shall become desolate and no 
man shall pass thereby. Jer. Ii. 43 : "Her cities are become 
a desolation, a dry land, and a desert, a land wherein no 
man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby." 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 187 

Fulfillment: " After the subsiding of the waters, even 
the low heaps become again 'sunburned ruins/ and the site 
of Babylon, like that of the other cities of Chaldea, is 'a 
dry waste,' 'a parched and burning plain' " (Bucking- 
ham's Travels, vol. ii., pp. 302, 305; Keppel, i., 196). "A 
more complete picture of desolation could not well be im- 
agined" (Keppel's Narrative, p. 196; Sir R. K. Porter's 
Travels, vol. ii., p. 392). "So as to render many parts of 
them inaccessible by converting the valleys into morasses" 
(Rich's Memoir, p. 13; S. R. K. Porter, Buckingham, etc.). 

(10) The great temple of Belus (Bel) shall be brought 
down and confounded. It shall be made a burnt mountain. 
Her images and idols shall be broken in pieces. Isa. xlvi. 
1: "Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols are upon 
the beasts, and upon the cattle : the things that ye carried 
about are made a load, a burden to the weary beast." 
Jer. Ii. 25: "Behold, I am against thee, destroying moun- 
tain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I 
will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down 
from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. ' ' 

Fulfillment: The loftiest temple ever built is nothing 
now but the highest heap in Babylon, bowed down to little 
more than the third part of its original height. "The whole 
mound is a ruin" (Rich, p. 37). "The whole summit and 
sides of this mountainous ruin are furrowed by the weather 
and by human violence into deep hollows and channels" 
(Mignan's Travels, p. 210; Porter, Rich, etc.). "The Birs 
Nimrod presents the appearance of a circular hill" (Rich's 
Memoir, p. 35). "It is strewed over with petrified and vit- 
rified substances" (Mignan's Travels, p. 10). "On the 
summit are immense fragments of brick-work, of no deter- 
minate figure, tumbled together" (confounded), "and con- 
verted into solid vitrified masses" (Rich's Memoir, p. 36). 
"The change exhibited is one which is only accountable 



188 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

from their having been exposed to the fiercest fire, or rather 
scathed by lightning" (Mignan' s Travels, p. 208). They 
are "completely molten/' and "ring like glass" (Keppel, 
p. 194; Sir R. K. Porter's Travels, vol. ii., pp. 308, 326). 
"Engraved marbles, idols of clay," "small figures of brass 
and copper, ' ' " bronze figures of men and animals are found 
among the ruins" (Rennell's Geography of Herodotus, p. 
368; Rich, Porter, Mignan). 

(11) Every structure shall be cast down from its foun- 
dations. (Jer. Ii. 25.) See above. 

Fulfillment: "Throughout the whole of these awful tes- 
timonies of the fire (whatever fire it was!), which doubt- 
less hurled them down from their original elevation, the 
regular lines of cement are visible" (Sir R. K. Porter's 
Travels, vol. ii., p. 312). 

(12) The materials of the buildings shall be so com- 
pletely destroyed as to be unfit for use. Jer. Ii. 26: "And 
they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone 
for foundation; but thou shalt be desolate forever, saith 
the Lord." 

Fulfillment: "The vitrified masses" are unfit for use; 
and the bricks in other parts of the ruinous heap ' c can not 
be detached whole." It can not, therefore, be rebuilt {Mig- 
nan's Travels, p. 206; Porter, Rich, Buckingham, etc.) 

(13) The palace (Merodach) shall be destroyed. Jer. 
1. 2: "Declare ye among the nations and publish, and set 
up a standard; publish and conceal not: say, Babylon is 
taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed; her 
images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed." 

Fulfillment: "The Mujelibie is a mass of confusion, 
none of its members being distinguishable" {Buckingham's 
Travels, vol. ii., p. 273). "On the southeast it is cloven into 
a deep furrow from top to bottom" (Mignan, p. 166). 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 189 

(14) The ruins shall be infested with worms. Isa. xiv. 
11: "Thy pomp is brought down to hell, and the noise of 
thy viols : the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover 
thee." 

Fulfillment: "The base is greatly injured by time and 
the elements" (Mignan's Travels, p. 172). "The summit is 
covered with heaps of rubbish" (Rich's Memoir, p. 29). 
"The mound was full of large holes, strewed with the car- 
casses and skeletons of animals recently killed" (Keppel's 
Narrative, p. 179). "In the warm climate of Chaldea, 
wherever these are strewed, worms can not be wanting. ' ' 

(15) The ruins shall be dug up! Isa. xiv. 19: "But 
thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abomi- 
nable branch, clothed with the slain, that are thrust through 
with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit ; as a 
carcase trodden under foot." 

Fulfillment: "Several deep excavations have been made 
in different places" (Sir R. K. Porter's Travels, vol. ii., 
p. 442). After being brought down to the grave, it is cast 
out of it again, for "many of the excavations have been 
dug by the rapacity of the Turks, tearing up its bowels 
in search of hidden treasures" (76.). Several of the large 
holes, whereof it is full, "penetrate very far into the body 
of the structure" (lb., p. 342; KeppeVs Narrative, p. 179; 
Mignan's Travels, p. 171, etc.). 

(16) The ruins shall be trodden under the feet of men. 
(Isa. xiv. 19.) See above. 

Fulfillment: "The Mujelibie rises in a steep ascent, 
over which the passengers can only go up by the winding 
paths worn by frequent visits to the ruined edifice" (Buck- 
ingham's Travels, p. 258). From the least to the greatest 
of the heaps, they are all trodden on. c c The ruins of Baby- 
lon are trodden under foot of men" (Yolney's Ruins, 
chap. iv.). 



190 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

(17) Her walls shall be completely destroyed. Jer. Ii. 
58 : "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, The broad walls of Baby- 
lon shall be utterly overthrown, and her high gates shall be 
burned with fire; and the peoples shall labor for vanity, 
and the nations for the fire ; and they shall be weary. ' ' 

Fulfillment: "Where are the walls of Babylon ?" asks 
Volney (Ruins, chap. ii.). "In common with other trav- 
elers/' says Major Keppel, "we totally failed in discovering 
any trace of the city walls" {KeppeVs Narrative, vol. i., 
p. 175; Bombay Literary Transactions, Captain Frederick 
on the Ruins of Babylon, vol. i., pp. 130, 131; Rich's Me- 
moir, pp. 43, 44). 

(18) The ruin shall be so complete as to cause astonish- 
ment. Jer. 1. 13: "Because of the wrath of the Lord it 
shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate : every 
one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at 
all her plagues.' ' Jer. Ii. 37: "And Babylon shall become 
heaps, a dwelling-place for jackals, an astonishment, and 
an hissing, without inhabitant." 

Fulfillment: "I can not portray," says Captain Mig- 
nan, "the overpowering sensation of reverential awe that 
possessed my mind while contemplating the extent and mag- 
nitude of ruin and devastation on every side" (Mignan's 
Travels, p. 117; Sir R. K. Porter, Rich, etc.). 

(19) The Lord declares that everything he has spoken 
against Babylon shall be fulfilled. Isa. xlviii. 14: "As- 
semble yourselves, all ye, and hear ; which among them hath 
declared these things ? The Lord hath loved him : he shall 
perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on 
the Chaldeans." Jer. Ii. 29: "And the land trembleth 
and is in pain : for the purposes of the Lord against Babylon 
do stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without 
inhabitant." Jer. xxv. 13: "And I will bring upon that 
land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even 



HEBREW PROPHECY. 191 

all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath 
prophesied against all the nations.' ' 

Fulfillment: "It was impossible to behold this scene, 
and not to be reminded of how exactly the predictions of 
Isaiah and Jeremiah have been fulfilled, even in the ap- 
pearance Babylon was doomed to present : that she should 
never be inhabited; that the Arabian should not pitch his 
tent there; that she should become heaps; that her cities 
should be a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness ! ' ' 
(Keppel's Narrative, p. 197; Rich, Porter, Mignan, Buck- 
ingham, etc.). 

The two foregoing examples have been introduced to 
show not only the minuteness of the specifications, but also 
the close fulfillment of the predictions. Many more equally 
striking examples might be given, but these are amply 
sufficient for our purpose. The predictions are not uttered 
in broad, general terms, in a manner that might be the 
result of wise forecast, but in circumstantial detail that 
utterly precludes such an assumption, and the fulfillments 
are so exact as to be startling. How any one can read 
these wonderfully minute prophetic specifications and the 
testimony of competent and credible witnesses as to their 
complete fulfillment, and still doubt the supernatural ori- 
gin of the prophecies, passes comprehension. The exact 
fulfillments that have been traced are numbered by the 
hundred, and the testimony of skeptics such as Volney and 
Gibbon constitute no unimportant part in the evidence of 
fulfillment that has been adduced. The apostle Peter gives 
the only rational explanation of this whole matter. "No 
prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spoke 
from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost." This is the 
only plausible answer. This alone is adequate and satis- 
factory, and satisfies the demands of reason and common 
sense. 



192 HEBREW PROPHECY. 

The believer may rest secure in his confidence. The 
bulwarks of his faith are impregnable. Its foundations 
are as firm as the adamantine rocks. If honest skeptics 
would acquaint themselves with the overwhelming evi- 
dences that support the Christian faith, they would strike 
their colors and surrender to the great Captain who never 
yet has lost a battle and who is destined at last to wield 
the scepter over a conquered but redeemed world. If timid 
Christians would familiarize themselves with the real 
strength of the Christian Gibraltar, all doubts would van- 
ish, and they would rejoice in a confidence that could not 
be shaken, and be able to say with the apostle Paul, "I 
know him whom I have believed, and am persuaded that 
he is able to guard that which I have committed unto 
him against that day." 



HEBREW PROPHECY 193 

LECTURE VIII. 

Hebrew Prophecy: Its Poetic Form 



Introduction. 

It might be thought, if revelation is essential, that the 
vital thing is the truth revealed and that the form in which 
it is presented is unimportant. "Why did not God content 
himself with the barest and most unadorned statement of 
the truths he wished to reveal? Would not this have an- 
swered every purpose? Why is not the whole revelation of 
God given in plain, unembellished prose ? That he has not 
done so is perhaps a sufficient justification of the divine 
method, but a study of the poetic form in which much of 
the revelation is couched will enable us to understand the 
deep wisdom displayed by the Father in speaking to his 
children. We will see there is abundant reason for the 
beautiful poetic form that the divine communication takes 
on in various parts of the Bible, and we will have a higher 
apprecation of the volume on this account. 

I invite your attention to 

I. Poetry in General: Its Nature and Forms. 

1. Poetic composition is fully justified by its effects. 

Everything good may be classed as either useful or 
beautiful. 

The useful consists in those things that are absolutely es- 
sential to human existence ; that is to say, those things that 
tend to improve human condition, either physical, intellect- 
ual or spiritual. 

The beautiful consists in a class of objects of sense or 
thought which awaken in us certain pleasurable emotions, 



1^ HEBREW PROPHECY 

but which to the superficial observer seem to bear no neces- 
sary relation to the great questions of human condition or 
progress. To many it would seem that they might be 
entirely dispensed with without vitally or seriously affect- 
ing the great issues of life. When men are to be clothed 
and fed, the lily or the rose seems to possess but little value. 
Would the world's progress be seriously affected if there 
were no blossom, or song of bird, or rainbow tints upon the 
sky ? Some give an affirmative and some a negative answer. 

The weakness and folly of utilitarianism is manifest to 
the thoughtful observer. The utilitarian philosopher finds 
no place in either theory or practice for the ornamental or 
beautiful. In architecture he would adhere to the strictly 
useful. He demands that all ornamentation shall be es- 
chewed. The fine arts have no place in his scheme of life. 
Natural ornamentation — the cultivation of trees, flowers 
and shrubbery — he considers a waste of time and an evi- 
dence of weakness. So, too, in literature he would have 
everything severely plain. No figures of speech, no rhetori- 
cal flourishes of any kind, would he permit. 

There is a radical defect, a fundamental error, running 
through this so-called utilitarian philosophy which consists 
in drawing a dividing line between the useful and the 
beautiful as if each belonged to a world distinct and 
separate from the other and in no way related. Such a 
process proceeds from a misunderstanding of man. It dis- 
regards the aesthetic nature. It gives him, in this respect, 
no higher place than it gives to the horse. Its falsity is 
also shown by the fact that it stands in opposition to the 
divine method of working. God has joined the useful and 
beautiful in divorceless union. We can conceive of apples 
growing without leaves or blossoms ; of corn on stiff stalks^ 
without blade or tassel. But God has otherwise ordained. 
He unites the useful and beautiful. God's prose and poetry 



HEBREW PROPHECY 195 

in the natural world are intimately blended and each is 
necessary to the other. 

In human life and activity we should act on the hint 
that God has given us in nature and not divorce what God 
has joined together. Out of this principle important lessons 
come. 

First, as to personal attire. Neatness in dress is a duty. 
This is not pride. It is good taste, good breeding, good 
sense. Carelessness as to personal appearance is a great 
weakness. It indicates a radical defect in one's education. 

Second, as to manners and bearing. No man has a right 
to act the boor. Conduct and actions have an aesthetic 
quality. Some actions are beautiful and some are deformed 
and ugly. Some seem to be purely poetic — utterly lacking 
in the element of utility, but which, nevertheless, are very 
useful. Mary, when she broke her box of spikenard and 
poured it on the Saviour's feet, did a beautiful and useful 
thing. The bouquet laid upon the coffin lid is a beautiful 
act. Is it not useful? The beauty of an act is sometimes 
of highest utility. If a man has a sense of the beautiful it 
must be met and satisfied, or he is defrauded and injured. 
Therefore the beautiful has a utility all its own. 

These facts stand as a sufficient justification for the 
poetic element in life, whether in the field of thought or 
action. 

2. That poetry is the oldest form of literature extant 
is a significant fact. 

Various reasons may be assigned for this. Some say it 
is because men feel before they think. This they claim 
accounts for its priority in time. That poetry is the lan- 
guage of feeling no one will deny, but this assumes that true 
poetry can antedate thought. Can feeling divorced from 
thought give true poetry? Feeling expressed in rhythmic 
numbers is not necessarily poetry. True poetry is the pro- 



196 HEBREW PROPHECY 

foundest thought. Men may feel before they think, but 
they must think before they can produce true poetry. 
Eminent authorities agree in declaring that feeling is not 
the only essential thing in poetry. Isidore said: "Among 
the Greeks as among the Latins, metrical compositions were 
more ancient than prose. Every kind and species of knowl- 
edge was first contained in poetry. It was long before 
prose flourished." This points to a necessary thought 
element in poetry. Hermippus said: "The laws of Char- 
ondas were sung at banquets in Athens." This also in- 
dicates a thought element of profound character. Other 
quotations might be made were it necessary, but this point 
is not disputed. 

May it not be true that poetry is the oldest extant litera- 
ture because it is the oldest composition that men have 
taken pains to preserve? There may have been still older 
literature which was not preserved, though this is quite 
unlikely. There is something very pleasing in the poetic 
form. Herzog says: "There are people who have never 
exercised nor even learned the art of writing, yet have al- 
ways sung." However this may be, it is nevertheless an 
interesting fact that the oldest writings are in poetic form. 

3. We are next to seek for the necessary elements and 
characteristics of true poetry — to ask what its essential 
factors are. 

There is a formal element that is essential which natural- 
ly comes first. Poetry is necessarily artificial. The external 
form is important, and some argue that form is the only 
essential element because a poem can be destroyed by 
changing the form of expression to prose, but this is not 
conclusive. Prose can not be changed to poetry by a mere 
trick in words and syllables. Form may be essential, but 
it is not the only essential thing. This is a very superficial 
view of the case. 



HEBREW PROPHECY 197 

There is a thought element in poetry that is necessary 
and without which there can be no true poetry. There are 
poetic ideas, poetic forms of thought, that are fundament- 
ally necessary. The true poem consists of poetic ideas 
clothed in appropriate poetic forms. The two factors must 
unite or there is no real poetry. Some so-called poems are 
void of poetic idea ; others are wanting in true poetic form ; 
neither are poetry in the highest sense. When the thought 
element is wanting, we have doggerel — a mere jingle of 
words. With the true poetic ideas the form must be united. 
The rhythm and meter must be correct or much of the effect 
is destroyed, but we can have good poetry without even 
rhythm or meter, nor is rhyme essential, though this is 
very beautiful. 

What, then, is the essential thing in form? This is an 
interesting question. 

There is no rhythm in Hebrew poetry, at least in the 
ordinary sense. Meter and rhyme are also wanting and yet 
it is poetry in the highest sense. I am inclined to the view 
expressed by R. H. Johnson that it consists in repetition. 
This is present in all poetry. We have rhyme, a repetition 
of similar sounds ; rhythm, a repetition of similar pulses or 
beats; meter, a repetition of similar verses, stanzas or 
strophes; parallelism, a repetition of similar or contrasted 
thoughts found only in Hebrew poetry. The wonderful 
charm in all kinds of poetry is repetition. It strikes a 
responsive chord in the soul. Music, dancing, beating the 
drum, any repeated orderly movement of sound or action, 
calls forth a response in the soul and produces pleasure. 
These repetitions must not be too long delayed or the effect 
is lost. The sharper and more vigorous the repetition, the 
greater the effect. Illustrations are abundant. The bass 
drum and the chorus of song are good examples. The repe- 
tition must be natural. New words should never be coined, 



198 HEBREW PROPHECY 

nor should words be dragged in in an unnatural way. The 
language must be in good taste. It is easy to fall from the 
sublime to the ridiculous, and this fact is often used by 
humorists to produce ludicrous effects. 

What is the essential thing in thought? Here we face a 
question of greater difficulty. No single thought element 
alone is essential. I mention some of the more prominent 
and important qualities: Nobility, expressive of highest 
sentiments — love, patriotism, etc. ; feeling, expressive of 
joy, sorrow, hatred, etc.; vivid imagination: by this blind 
Milton lived in a world of beauty; sincerity; simplicity; 
other qualities might be mentioned. These qualities enter 
into the various forms of poetry. The conclusion is that 
when certain thought qualities unite with the true poetic 
form, poetry is the necessary product. 

4. The advantages of poetic, expression are many and 
striking. 

By it the human heart is most easily and deeply stirred. 
Popular sentiment is moulded by it. Schenckenberger's 
"Die "Wacht am Rhein" was a potent factor in bringing 
about a union of the petty German states. In great popular 
upheavals song has exerted a great influence. Illustrations 
are abundant. Israel sang on the shore of the sea the song 
of deliverance ; David 's victory over Goliath was celebrated 
in song ; the Greeks chanted the paean when going to battle ; 
in the American Revolution and during the last war 
patriotic songs were sung everywhere. 

National life is largely affected by song. The English 
sing "God Save the Queen;" the French, "The Marseilles 
Hymn;" the Germans, "Die Wacht am Rhein;" the 
Americans, "The Star-spangled Banner" and "My 
Country, Tis of Thee," and the influence of these national 
songs is wonderful. 

Religious emotions are profoundly stirred by song. 



HEBREW PROPHECY 199 

Loyalty to Christ is expressed in the song "All Hail the 
Power of Jesus' Name;" desire for refuge, in "Jesus, Lover 
of My Soul;" yearning for home, in "I Will Sing You a 
Song of That Beautiful Land;" desire for activity, in "To 
the Work, to the Work;" hope in death, in "We'll Meet 
Again," confidence, in "How Firm a Foundation." Thus 
every religious sentiment finds expression in song. 

It is also a great aid to the memory. Verse is more easily 
committed and longer remembered than prose. The rhyme, 
the meter, the repetition, powerfully assist memory. 

It appeals to the universal instinct. The rudest savages 
and most cultivated peoples are alike open to the influence 
of song, and its influence is felt during the whole period 
of life, from childhood to old age. The infant is soothed by 
it and old age is rendered more peaceful by its divine in- 
fluence. It may properly be regarded as a divine implanta- 
tion. The outward reality of song meets an inward instinct ; 
it answers to a natural want as light answers to the eye. It 
is therefore right, and whatever answers a natural or con- 
stitutional want is not only right, but indispensable. 

We here have a hint of the character of the poet. He 
has sensitiveness and delicacy of feeling; sympathy with 
man ; unerring insight into human nature and human emo- 
tions ; sympathy with nature, not simply to appreciate, but 
to interpret. 

5. The different orders of poetry are clearly marked. 

The lyric is first in origin. It is called lyric because it is 
used to express feeling. All ancient nations developed this 
first. It is purely subjective. It seems to be the natural 
way to express inward feeling. 

The epic is second in order of development. This is 
objective in character; it is born from without; it is 
descriptive of some great event in national or individual 
life. Homer's "Iliad," Virgil's "^Eneid," Milton's "Para- 



200 HEBREW PROPHECY 

dise Lost," Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered," all deal with 
the objective. It is more difficult than the lyric and re- 
quires a higher order of talent. 

The dramatic or tragic. It is named from the Greek 
"Drama/' from "drao," to do. Its great characteristic is 
action. It also is objective. It deals with emotions or feel- 
ings of others. Its purpose is to give some tragic event in 
the life of a nation, family or individual. It is considered 
the highest and most difficult form of poetry. 

These three forms display close relationship. Sometimes 
they intermingle, sometimes one form is used to support 
the other, but all are closely allied. 

II. Hebrew Poetry : Its Variety and Characteristics. 

1. The great abundance of Hebrew poetry is a striking 
fact. 

A large portion of the Old Testament is written in 
poetic form. Whole books are poetic and there are scattered 
fragments throughout the volume. This is a wonderful 
fact and should arrest attention. As a merely literary fact 
it should interest the earnest student of literature. In the' 
Old Testament we find poetry of the highest order ante- 
dating the classic poetry of Greece and Rome. Deborah 
and David sang before Pindar and Homer wrote. 

To the student of the Bible a knowledge of Hebrew poetry 
is of transcendent importance. A large portion of God's 
message would be in a measure lost without such knowl- 
edge, and in no portion of the Bible is its religious spirit 
so clearly revealed. Faith, hope, devotion, joy, gratitude 
— in short, the most potent principles of the soul — here 
shine forth. 

There are many reasons why so large a place is given in 
God's revelation to Hebrew song. I refer again to the fact 
that poetic instinct is inherent. It is native to the soul. It 
may be dormant for a time, but excitement will call it out. 



HEBREW PROPHECY 201 

It is a precious gift, wonderful in manifestation and uses. 
It cheers, ennobles and beautifies life. God always seeks 
to meet the wants he creates. Every real want takes root 
in constitutional peculiarities, physical, intellectual or 
spiritual. This truth is exemplified in the revelations and 
provisions of nature. There are physical, intellectual and 
spiritual elements in nature to correspond with the physi- 
cal, intellectual and spiritual factors in man. Nature 
recognizes the poetic feeling. The poetry without corre- 
sponds to fhe poetry within. This fact awakens the expecta- 
tion that God will act upon the same principle in making 
his word revelation. We would expect to find intellectual, 
spiritual, poetic elements in God's word. 

A second reason is found in the fact that God could not 
appeal to a more powerful or universal instinct. A divine 
gift is not necessarily universal; some are individual, but 
a constitutional gift is universal. This does not mean that 
every man is a creative poetic genius. All, however, can 
feel. The poetic gift is both active and passive. It is 
creative and appreciative. All can not write poetry, and 
many, alas ! who think they have the creative genius are 
woefully mistaken, but all can respond to the poetic senti- 
ment when expressed in greater or less degree. It manifests 
itself early in life and does not leave us with death. Hence 
to no mere powerful or widely known instinct could God's 
call come. 

Another reason for the presence of poetry in the Bible 
is the fact that by it God administers to our purest 
pleasures. This is another evidence of the goodness of God. 
The proper gratification of every inherent desire is always 
pleasurable. No better or stronger reason need be sought 
than this. 

Finally, let it be noted that it serves a great purpose in 
the practical influence with which it invests the truth. 



203 HEBREW PROPHECY 

Truth is not always understood because it is plainly stated. 
Truth must be felt as well as intellectually apprehended. 
It is not until truth is felt that it takes on its most potent 
form. Truth reaches the feelings most readily when clothed 
in poetic measures, and hence becomes more powerful in its 
influence over us. 

The intrinsic value of Hebrew poetry should not be over- 
looked or underestimated. To lose it would be to lose a 
treasure of sublime thought nobly expressed. It would be to 
lose one of the richest mines of intellectual and spiritual 
wealth to which man has ever had access. 

The themes are lofty. Note the moral fall from Isaiah 
to Homer. The artistic element in the latter is wonderful, 
but the moral tone is as far below the former as earth is 
below heaven. The difference between Hebraism and 
Hellenism is that one is ethical, the other artistic. 

2. Hebrew poetry, like that of other peoples, had its 
golden age. 

There is a golden age in the literature of every civilized 
nation; a period of peculiar development. The age of 
Pericles in Greece was such an era. The age of Augustus 
and the age of Elizabeth were the golden ages respectively 
of Latin and English literature. The thirteenth century 
in the early French and the age of Louis XIV. in the later 
French history were golden ages of French literature. The 
present age in Germany some think is its golden age, but 
perhaps this can not be determined at the present time. 

The causes for a golden age are very clear. A high degree 
of national prosperity, affording leisure and time for study, 
is conducive to the development of literature. The pioneer 
age is unfavorable because the necessary leisure for study 
and writing is denied to men. The golden age of Ameri- 
can literature is, we may hope, still in the future. The 
conditions for its development have not fully matured. 



HEBREW PROPHECY 203 

There is, however, a danger to be avoided. Long pros- 
perity is liable to lead to degeneracy. It eats out the virile, 
sturdy qualities and causes mind and body to deteriorate. 
Luxury poisons the physical and intellectual fountains of 
life. Much and long-continued prosperity is dangerous. 

The Davidic age was the golden age of Hebrew poetry. 
The whole period before David furnished but few of the 
Psalms, but the foundation was laid for this splendid 
outburst of poetry in preceding ages. The literature of 
the nation prior to David's time was striking deep root 
that finally resulted in a rich fruitage that gives it an 
exalted place among the literatures of the world when 
studied even in its purely literary aspects. When prosper- 
ity came to the nation, then literature flourished. This 
has been true of every nation. 

Herein is found a potent argument for the pre-Davidic 
origin of the Pentateuch. To bring the Pentateuch this 
side of David leaves the golden age without a background. 
It leaves the tree without roots, the building without a 
foundation. This would be an anomalous condition. It is 
found nowhere else. The golden age of a literature always 
has roots running back for hundreds of years. It was 
notably so in English literature. It took nearly a thou- 
sand years of preparation to produce an Elizabethan age. 

The only way of avoiding this argument is to deny to 
David the authorship of nearly all the Psalms, and to 
shove the wisdom literature down to a much later age 
than the traditional view assigned to it; but this question- 
able proceeding does not obviate the difficulty. Even in 
that case we would have a very sudden outburst of splen- 
did literature with little previous writing, such a thing 
as is witnessed nowhere else. This position is unsupported 
by a single collateral example in all the literatures of 
the world. 



204 HEBREW PROPHECY 

The character of the Hebrew bards is a factor to be 
taken into account in studying Hebrew poetry. David, 
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were men of stupendous 
genius. They were men of deepest piety and closest fel- 
lowship with God, and they belonged to a nation that 
had a thrilling history. To this must be added the divine 
gift of inspiration. All this helps us to account for this 
wonderful outburst. Victor Hugo regards Job, Isaiah, 
Ezekiel, John and Paul as among the greatest names in 
literature. To these I would certainly add the name of 
David, unless the authorship of any considerable number 
of the Psalms is denied to him. 

3. The sources of inspiration of Hebrew poetry are 
many and fruitful. 

There must be some excitant to call forth poetry. It 
must have an adequate cause. It is not a product of 
purely intellectual processes. The feelings must be 
stirred. 

Afflictions are a powerful means of stirring the poetic 
chords of the soul. Many Psalms stand as illustrations. 
The third, sixth, tenth, twelfth and thirteenth are notable 
examples. 

The feeling of joy is also a powerful excitant. Han- 
nah's song (I. Sam. ii. 1-10), David's song (II. Sam. xxii. 
2-51), many of the Psalms, Mary's song (Luke i. 46-55), 
Zachariah's song (Luke i. 67-80), furnish excellent ex- 
amples. 

The sentiment of love is also fruitful in producing 
poetry. There are many examples in the Psalms. The 
Song of Solomon is also a noteworthy example. Every 
young lover finds this statement verified in his own 
experience. 

Religious fervor tends to express itself in poetic form. 
This embraces many potent emotions of the soul. The 



HEBREW PROPHECY 205 

study of hymnology is interesting and instructive on this 
account. 

Friendship is also a stimulus to poetic expression. 
Horace calls Virgil "The half of his soul;" David's 
lament over Jonathan, is a good example. 

The sentiment of patriotism is a stimulating cause. All 
nations have their patriotic songs. Much of Hebrew 
poetry is patriotic. 

Mirthfulness., wit, humor, and even the baser feelings 
of anger, hatred and revenge, tend often to express them- 
selves in rhythmic numbers. 

Perhaps the prophetic influence is most fruitful of all 
excitants. The prophet was called Nabi, which means to 
bubble forth. This indicates strong excitement. 

4. The close relationship of prophet and poet is evident. 

The same word in Latin, "vates" is used for both. 

The men selected as prophets were necessarily in posses- 
sion of the poetic qualities. They were men of great heart 
power and large intellectual endowments. The work of 
the prophet necessarily stimulated to poetic expression. 
It was theirs to arouse Israel to a sense of her sins ; theirs 
to cause repentance and produce great moral upheavals. 
Passionate expression was a most natural thing. The 
poetic form was the most natural form of expression under 
the circumstances. Their wonderful visions also caused 
intense feeling and were a poetic excitant. 

There is, however, a difference between prophet and 
poet. Poets are not necessarily divinely inspired. Proph- 
ets were inspired. Beecher says, "The poet sang in the 
lower boughs.' ' That is he lived in a lower world than 
the prophet. Some claim the inspiration of the two is 
the same in kind. If this be true, the difference in degree 
is so great as to place the two in different worlds. 

5. The characteristics of Hebrew poetry are interesting. 



206 HEBREW PROPHECY 

It is largely religious, and the spirit of true poetry re- 
sides in it. The whole thought of the nation has a religious 
coloring. The great thought committed to the nation by 
God accounts for this. It was theirs to develop and trans- 
mit the thought of one true and living God. This litera- 
ture must needs be religious. 

It has also a patriotic element. It is hard to separate 
patriotism and religion among the Hebrews. By means 
of patriotic poetry the national heart was fired. The 
historic and patriotic streams of literature run close to- 
gether and are often blended. 

It is subjective. The poet records his own feelings. 
He deals with what concerns himself. 

It is sententious. It abounds in short, vigorous, pithy 
sayings and practical maxims. A world of meaning is 
couched in a word. 

It is sensuous. The imagery is very bold and striking. 

There is an absence of fiction. The sincerity and truth- 
fulness are refreshing. There is a genuineness that is 
wanting in much ancient and modern poetry. 

It is sublime. This applies to thought and diction. We 
are lifted to supernal heights by much of the Hebrew 
poetry. 

6. The hinds of Hebrew poetry must also ~be noticed. 

We have the Lyric, Didactic and Rhetorical forms. The 
Hebrew named but two kinds, Lyric and Didactic, which 
they called Shir and Mashal. The Epic and Dramatic 
forms are in any complete sense unknown. There are, how- 
ever, Dramatic and Epic elements in some of the poetry. 

The Lyric was a poem, joined inseparably with musical 
accompaniments. The meaning of the word " psalm' ' in- 
dicated this. We do not know surely how these Lyrics 
were sung. They embrace in their scope the whole round 
of human feeling. 



HEBREW PROPHECY 207 

The Didactic or wisdom poetry may be classed as a 
variety of the Lyric, but it has distinguishing character- 
istics. Its great aim was instruction. The sententious 
element is prominent. This kind of poetry is truly 
characteristic of the Hebrews. 

The Rhetorical form is also a variety of the Lyric. It 
is the fruit of great excitement and seeks high-sounding 
words. It grew often out of visions or strong emotions 
arising from other causes. 

7. The technical and formal qualities of Hebrew poetry 
are unique. 

Rhyme is entirely wanting except in modern Hebrew 
poetry. Assonance and alliteration are occasional features. 
Acrosticism appeared after David's time. Rhythm of the 
kind found in Greek and Latin is wanting. 

The parallelism is the characteristic feature of Hebrew 
poetry. It consists of a repetition of the same thought 
in parallel expressions of opposite thought in contrasted 
expressions. The causes of the parallelism may be given 
as the tendency of strong feeling to repetition, the desire 
to afford delight, a desire to make thought clear, the pleas- 
ure found in comparison and contrast, and finally it en- 
abled the poet to express thought in a progressive way. It 
has some peculiar advantages, chief among which I mention 
the fact that poetry of this kind suffers little by trans- 
lation. Other advantages are suggested by what has 
already been said. 

The kinds of parallelism must be clearly differentiated, 

First, we have the synonymous form : 

In this the second member of the parallelism repeats 
the thought of the first. Gen. iv. 23, 24, is the earliest 
example we have, unless the quotation made by Jude 
from the language of Enoch is an example (Jude 14). 

1. Adah and Zillah 2 hear my voice 



208 HEBREW PROPHECY 

1. Ye wives of Lamech 2 harken unto speech 
3. For I have slain a man 4 for wounding me 
3. A young man 4 for bruising me 

5. If Cain shall be avenged 6 seven-fold 
5. Truly Lamech 6 seventy and seven fold. 

The verses marked 1 correspond to each other as a 
whole, while the two halves correspond. The same is true 
of the verses marked 3 and 5. The second part here re- 
peats the first without added force. 

I introduce as a second example Prov. xxx. 17. 
1. The eye that mocketh at 2 his father 
1. And refuses to obey 2 his mother 

3. The ravens of the valley 4 shall pick it out 
3. The young eagles 4 shall eat it. 

This also illustrates the sensuous element in Hebrew 
poetry. Here the second member of parallelism gives 
added force to the first member or intensifies the parallel 
thought. 

As an example of triple parallelism, I introduce Psalm 
i. — Blessed is the man 

1. That walketh not 2 in the counsel 3 of the ungodly 
1. Nor standeth 2 in the way 3 of sinners 

1. Nor sitteth 2 in the seat 3 of the scornful. 

Here there are three parallel verses synonymous as a 
whole. Each verse has three divisions, and between the 
corresponding division of each is a parallelism. The 
thought is also cumulative in this example. 

Often we have the double and triple varieties combined, 
Ps. xxii. 23. 

1. Ye that fear the Lord 2 Praise Him; 

1. All ye the seed of Jacob 2 Glorify Him 

2. And stand in awe of Him 1 All ye the seed of Israel. 
Here we have the thought synonymously expressed, and 

each verse is divided into two parts corresponding each 



HEBREW PROPHECY 309 

to each, making three parallelisms of two members in each 
verse. The thought is reinforced by each repetition mak- 
ing an ascending climax. In the last verse the order of 
two halves is reversed. 

The climax is very common in Hebrew poetry. 

As examples of simple synonymous parallelism without 
reinforcement of ideas, I introduce Isa. xv. 1 — The burden 
of Moab. 
1. For in the night Ar of Moab 2 is laid waste and brought 

to nought 
1. For in the night Kir of 2 is laid waste and brought 
Moab to nought 

Often, as in this case, there is an introductory clause, 
and sometimes the thought is completed by a concluding 
line. 

Also Ps. xxii. 27 is a good example. 

1. All the ends of the earth 2 shall remember and 

return unto the Lord 

1. And all kindreds of the 2 shall worship before 
nations thee. 

It is interesting to note the variety in synonymous ex- 
pression which the Hebrew poetry displays. The study 
of it would be most valuable simply as an exercise in 
composition. 

The parallelism sometimes includes three and some- 
times four members. Ps. xix. 6, 7. 

1 His going forth 2 is from the end of the 

heaven 

1 And his circuit 2 unto the end of it 

1 And there is nothing hid from the least thereof. 
3 The law of the Lord 4 is perfect 5 restoring the soul 
3 The testimony of the 4 is sure 5 making wise the 
Lord simple 



210 HEBREW PROPHECY 

3 The precepts of the 4 are right 5 rejoicing the heart 

Lord 
3 The commandment 4 is pure 5 enlightening the 
of the Lord eyes. 

The first two members of the first parallelism are divi- 
ded into two parts, each agreeing with the corresponding 
part of the other member. The third member is simply 
a synonymous expression for the thought in which no 
division is seen. The second parallelism consists of four 
members, each being divided into three parts, the corre- 
sponding divisions agreeing throughout. 

We have another variety of the quadruple parallelism 
in which the first and second are joined, and also the third 
and fourth. Isa. xliii. 4. 

1. Since thou hast been precious in my sight and honor- 
able 

2. And I have loved thee, 

3. Therefore will I give men for thee, 

4. And peoples for thy life. 

Here one is united with two, and three with four. 

Isa. liii. 4 shows something very similar, if not identical. 

1. Surely he hath borne our griefs 

2. And carried our sorrows 

3. Yet we did esteem him stricken 

4. Smitten of God and afflicted. 

In Ps. xxxiii. 13, 14, we have a quadruple parallelism 
and of still different variety. 

1. The Lord looketh from heaven. 

2. He beholdeth all the sons of men. 

3. From the place of his habitation he looketh forth. 

4. Upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 

Here is one united with three and two with four. Oft- 
times the parallelism is highly figurative and most beauti- 
ful. Ps. xxiii. 1, 2. 



HEBREW PROPHECY 211 

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want 

1 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures 

1 He leadeth me beside the still waters. 
This is a triple parallelism with undivided members. It 
is marvelous for its metaphorical beauty. 

Psalm xlii. 1. 

1 As the hart panteth 2 after the water brooks 

1 So panteth my soul 2 after thee, God, 
This is a double parallelism with double members. It 
glitters like a diamond in its beauty. 

Second, we have the antithetic form: 

In this idea of the second member is the converse of 
that in the first, Prov. x. 1. 

1 A wise son 2 maketh a glad father 

1 A foolish son 2 is the heaviness of his 

mother 
3 Treasures of wickedness 4 profit nothing 
3 But righteousness 4 delivereth from death. 

Here the clauses marked with corresponding numbers are 
in antithesis, and the verses taken as a whole are anti- 
thetic. 

We have another case in Hannah's song — I. Sam. ii. 
4, 5. 

1 The bows of mighty men 2 are broken 
1 And they that stumbled 2 are girded with strength 
3 They that w T ere full 4 have tired out themselves 

3 And they that were hungry 4 have ceased. 

Sometimes the antithesis is between the first and last 
clauses of the .verse — I. Sam. ii. 6. 

1 The Lord killeth 2 and maketh alive 

1 He bringeth down to the grave 2 and bringeth up 
1 The Lord maketh poor 2 and maketh rich 

1 He bringeth low 2 he also lifteth up. 

Here the clauses marked one are in synonymous parallel- 



212 HEBREW PROPHECY 

ism, and also the clauses marked two, while the clauses 

marked one are in antithetical parallelism with the clauses 

marked two. Mary's song must have been cast in the 

same poetic mould with Hannah's — Luke i. 52, 53. 

1 He hath put down princes 2 from their thrones 

1 And them of low degree 2 has he exalted 

3 The hungry 4 has he filled with good 

things 
3 And the rich 4 has he sent away empty. 

The clauses that have the same number are in contrast 
with each other, while the verses taken as a whole also 
stand in antithesis. 

Third, we have the synthetic form: 

We have a beautiful form of parallelism in Isa. lv. 6, 7. 
1 Seek ye the Lord 2 while he may be found 

1 Call ye upon him 2 while he is near 

3 Let the wicked 4 forsake his way 

3 And the unrighteous man 4 his thoughts 
5 And let him return unto 6 and he will have mercy 

the Lord 
5 And to our God 6 and he will abundantly 

pardon. 
This seems to partake in some degree of both the synony- 
mous and antithetic. 

All these diversified forms are mingled and interchanged 
in most poems with great freedom, apparently at the 
arbitrary will of the poet. 

A word concerning the strophic structure must suffice. 

The shortest sections consisting of two and sometimes 
three lines are called verses. Several verses together make 
up the strophe. 

Homogeneity in form and number of verses is neces- 
sary to the strophe. Externally it is marked by the re- 
frain or the repetition of the concluding verse. Psalms 



HEBREW PROPHECY 213 

xlii. and xliii. Sometimes it is marked by an alphabetic 
beginning, and inside the strophe the alphabetic order 
is repeated. 

Sometimes we have strophe and antistrophe. This is 
simply responsive singing or chanting. Psalm cxxxvi. 

Space forbids me to dwell more at length on this, but 
it would well repay us for further study. 

There is nothing more beautiful in literature than the 
paraNelism of Hebrew poetry. It is as unique as it is 
beautiful. The element of repetition seems to be about 
the only point it holds in common w T ith the poetry of 
other peoples, so far as form is concerned, but it possesses 
other poetic qualities in common with all true poetry. 

Thus we see that God has not only revealed to us pre- 
cious truth, but he has transmitted it to us in forms of 
wondrous beauty. 



AUG 20 1908 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: May 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township PA 16066 
(724) 779-21 1 1 



